Put Your Phone on Starbucks Table to Charge It

Duracell Powermat today announced the availability of wireless charging in select Starbucks stores in the Silicon Valley area.

The expansion of the wireless charging evaluation follows a successful test of the wireless charging technology in select Starbucks stores in the Boston area.

“Duracell Powermat offers the cure for dead battery anxiety,” said Stassi Anastassov, president of Duracell at Procter & Gamble.

“Look around any Starbucks and you will see smartphones being placed on tables. Today these phones are losing power as they sit there — but once a table is equipped with Powermat technology, simply placing a phone on the table will recharge it.”

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Wireless charging at Starbucks will comply with the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standard – an emerging standard and ecosystem for wireless power — so that any PMA-certified device will charge simply by being placed on the tabletop.

Several companies, including Duracell Powermat, offer PMA-certified smartphone cases and portable batteries, and AT&T recently announced that many of its smartphones will ship with PMA wireless charging technology next year.

Blackberry, HTC, LG, Samsung, ZTE and other smartphone makers have also signed on to the PMA.

PMA was founded by Powermat Technologies and Procter & Gamble in 2012, and its board includes AT&T, Duracell, Starbucks, and the US Government’s Energy Star and Federal Communications Commission (both non-voting).

“We have seen positive customer response to wireless charging through our tests in Boston, and are pleased to now extend this experience for our customers in the Silicon Valley area,” said Adam Brotman, chief digital officer, Starbucks Coffee Company.

Duracell Powermat is the joint venture between Procter & Gamble’s Duracell brand and Powermat Technologies.