Lots of people like to hang out in their local Starbucks, whether it’s to get some work done, enjoy coffee or just chilling and people-watching. One problem with doing any of those things, though, is that eventually your smartphone will need some juice. Sure, you could bring a charger with you and hope that you get a seat near an outlet, but that’s not always a guarantee. Well the good news is that Starbucks is ready to address that problem.
Starbucks today announced that it’s teaming up with Duracell Powermat to roll out Powermat wireless charging stations across the country. The stores will gain “Powermat Spots,” which will be designated areas on tables and counters where they can rest their device and give it some juice.
The national rollout of Powermat Spots is expected to begin in San Francisco, with an expansion to more major markets planned for 2015. Starbucks says that select Boston and San Jose stores already have Powermat charging stations. To see if your local Starbucks is Powermat-equipped, you can go right here.
Wireless charging support has become more widespread in mobile hardware as of late, but the feature still has yet to gain real traction with consumers. This Starbucks move could help it do just that, exposing folks to wireless charging stations and helping them learn about the technology.
This announcement is also a big deal for the Power Matters Alliance, which has been using Powermat technology to battle the Wireless Power Consortium and its Qi standard for the title of “Mainstream Wireless Charging Tech.” We’ll still have to wait and see which technology will ultimately win out, but this Starbucks news certainly gives the PMA and Powermat a big boost.
Do you use a wireless charger? If so, do you have use Powermat or Qi?
Via Starbucks
