Starbucks, in collaboration with Duracell, has announced that it will begin rolling out more than 100,000 Duracell Powermat wireless smartphone table chargers throughout 7,500 of its stores in the United States over the next three years. The announcement comes after the program was initially tested in Starbucks stores across Boston, Massachusetts and San Jose, California.
Notably, while Apple's current iPhone line isn't compatible with wireless charging out of the box, Duracell currently offers an AccessCase accessory for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, and iPhone 4 that is compatible with Duracell's Powermat and Starbucks' wireless table chargers.
While phone manufacturers like Motorola and LG have added wireless charging capabilities to their phone over the past few years, Apple has yet to add the feature to the iPhone. However, Apple has shown past interest in the technology, with a report in 2011 noting that the company was experimenting with WiTricity wireless charging and another report in 2013 stating that Apple was looking at Qi inductive charging for the iPhone 5s.
Apple is also said to be including wireless charging functionality in its highly-rumored iWatch smartwatch, which is expected to launch this October.
Top Rated Comments
Mac users. ;)
"Starbucks reserves the right to use and download your contact list and enable geolocation on your phone."
[INDENT][ACCEPT] [I DON'T CARE][/INDENT]
:D
+1. I laughed audibly.
Any charging could have an impact, especially if your battery is low.
The idea for them is that you are going to stay and drink your drink while your phone picks up a little charge. But hey since you are staying maybe you will get that muffin you were thinking about. And so on.
And for all we know this case is something you have to buy outright and it's got its own battery like a mophie which charges faster so even more impact.
This does not alienate non-iphone/samsung s% users, and let people charge say, iPads.
Wireless charge charging was attempted in some Train Station kiosks in the UK, only to find most people walked away with the connectors.