Have you ever gone to a Starbucks to charge your phone, only to realize you forgot your USB cable? Duracell is trying to make sure you never face this dilemma again by installing wireless charging devices, called Powermats, at Starbucks and other locations across the U.S. Powermats are currently being testing at a Starbucks location at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, so if you’re interested and happen to be passing through the Gambling Capital of the World this week, you should check the Powermat out!
To charge your phone using a Powermat, you’ll need either a Powermat-enabled case or a Powermat ring. Simply place the conductive area of the case or ring on the Powermat (as seen below) and your phone will charge wirelessly.
So far the Powermat has been tested at Starbucks stores in Boston and San Jose, California, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf locations in Los Angeles and McDonalds stores in New York.
When will Duracell Powermat be widely available? Duracell Powermat CEO Ron Rabinowitz told CNET that his company is ready to roll out wireless charging to additional cities, but is “waiting on the green light” from Starbucks. He didn’t give an exact date for a larger launch. Duracell also hopes to bring its product to Madison Square Garden and Delta Sky Club.
Wireless charging at Starbucks will comply with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standard, which standardizes the charging method of wireless devices to a simple touch with a tabletop charging device. AT&T recently announced that many of its smartphones will ship with PMA wireless charging technology starting in 2014, and Blackberry, HTC, LG, Samsung, ZTE and other smartphone makers have also signed on to the PMA.
To find out where Duracell Powermat is currently available, visit poweruphere.com.
Would you like to see wireless charging come to stores near you?
Images by Duracell Powermat and Duracell Powermat on Facebook
