All Starbucks and Teavana Tea shops will soon have wireless charging capabilities, the coffee chain announced Thursday.
According to a press release, the company is beginning to launch the new collaboration with Duracell Powermat in San Francisco, Calif. It expects to add more cities in 2015 before implementing the technological advancement in all Starbucks locations throughout the United States. The company will also test the concept in Europe and Asia this year.
The convenient option works with AT&T, Blackberry, HTC, Huawei, LG, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung, TI, and ZTE devices.
Starbuck's chief digital officer said the upgrade is a result of the company's early detection of customer trends.
"From Wi-Fi and the in-store Starbucks Digital Network to mobile payment and digital music downloads, we have always tried to anticipate our customers' needs early in the adoption curve and provide a world-class solution," Adam Brotman said in a statement. "We are thrilled to offer our customers that next level of convenience with Powermat wireless charging. Rather than hunting around for an available power outlet, they can seamlessly charge their device while enjoying their favorite food or beverage offering right in our stores. We were pleased with the customer response to the pilot tests, and we're now expanding this offering nationally to provide our customers a quality and reliable experience as they use our stores as their respite, their office away from home or as a gathering place with their friends and family."
Powermat Technologies' CEO said officials compiled lots of data before coming to conclusion when creating the technology.
"Powermat Spots in Starbucks are the result of almost a decade of scientific research spanning material sciences, magnetic induction and mesh networking," Ran Poliakine said in a statement. "The two-pronged power-plug dates back to the era of the horse drawn carriage, so that today's announcement marks the first meaningful upgrade to the way we access power in well over a century."
AT&T Mobility's vice president for mobile devices and accessories said specialized technology in many of the company's smartphones will enable wireless charging.
"Starbucks is a highly regarded global brand and its decision to rollout a Powermat network is both empowering and transformative for consumers and the mobile industry as a whole," Jeff Howard said in a statement. "Many of our newer devices have compatible technology either embedded or available as an added feature to give consumers the freedom to charge wirelessly. Today's announcement marks an important time for our customers - they will have the freedom to stay charged effortlessly in Starbucks stores nationwide over time."
Procter and Gamble's Duracell president said Starbucks wireless charging initiative represents a new age where such capabilities are replacing older powering methods.
"Starbucks is transforming the way consumers get power to their phones, in much the same way it made WiFi a standard amenity in public places. This endeavor is a critical step in Duracell's vision to make dead battery anxiety a thing of the past," Stassi Anastassov said in a statement. "When Starbucks introduced Wi-Fi in their stores in 2001, 95 percent of devices didn't have Wi-Fi, and multiple standards hampered the industry. The rest is history. Starbucks plans to offer Powermat nationally is likely to settle any lingering standards question, and usher wireless power into the mainstream."
