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Starbucks to Roll Out 100,000 Wireless Smartphone Chargers at 7,500 U.S. Stores

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Apr 12, 2001
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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.

starbucks_wireless_charging-800x514.jpg
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.

Article Link: Starbucks to Roll Out 100,000 Wireless Smartphone Chargers at 7,500 U.S. Stores
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/06/12/starbucks-100000-wireless-chargers-7500-stores/
roadbloc

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
Yeah, they could do with expanding to more than 5 phone models, four of them nearly identical anyway.
 
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2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
roadbloc said:
Yeah, they could do with expanding to more than 5 phone models, four of them nearly identical anyway.
Click to expand...

For Starbucks this seems like an easy way to get additional traffic into their stores and for customers to stay longer which increases spending. Not sure what the the deal is for Duracell, but I am sure they are getting compensated beyond just the market recognition. And I am sure this will drive some phone case sales for iPhone users.

For me, I never linger in Starbucks long enough for this to be useful, but put this in airports where I am often waiting for a plane and all outlets are being used by other people charging their phones and I would be very interested.
 
roadbloc

roadbloc

macrumors G3
Aug 24, 2009
8,784
215
UK
Cuban Missles said:
For me, I never linger in Starbucks long enough for this to be useful, but put this in airports where I am often waiting for a plane and all outlets are being used by other people charging their phones and I would be very interested.
Click to expand...

I've never stepped foot into a Starbucks haha. I saw that a cup of tea would cost me £3.50 and almost blew a fuse. It's outrageously extortionate.
 
K

Kissaragi

macrumors 68020
Nov 16, 2006
2,340
370
Hopefully the iPhone 6 will support wirelessly charging out of the box without a case.
 
A

acarney

macrumors 6502
Jul 3, 2007
322
53
Cuban Missles said:
For Starbucks this seems like an easy way to get additional traffic into their stores and for customers to stay longer which increases spending. Not sure what the the deal is for Duracell, but I am sure they are getting compensated beyond just the market recognition. And I am sure this will drive some phone case sales for iPhone users.

For me, I never linger in Starbucks long enough for this to be useful, but put this in airports where I am often waiting for a plane and all outlets are being used by other people charging their phones and I would be very interested.
Click to expand...

I figure the charge mats are there but the user will need to purchase the case before hand (or in store probably). This might also tempt hardware manufactures to chose Duracell to be "built in" rather then someone else's technology since it'll have an already existing footprint. (Especially of they get a couple other nation wide fast food chains to do the same... You'll never be more the a block or two away from a Duracell power point that conveniently your Duracell powered phone can make use of which helped pad the Duracell bank account...)

Do these things finally charge as fast as a standard AC adapter? Even when factoring in quick charge & not to full capacity? I never found it real hard to carry a small AC adapter and spend 45 min or something quick charging to 80% or something and then moving on... Plus you can hold your phone and use it rather then have to keep it laying on a mat... I guess it's "better" but kind of a non-issue to me until it can charge in my pocket based on proximity to the charger.
 
JUiCEJamie

JUiCEJamie

macrumors 6502a
Mar 22, 2011
817
223
roadbloc said:
Yeah, they could do with expanding to more than 5 phone models, four of them nearly identical anyway.
Click to expand...

Those 4 identical phones take up over 40% of the US smartphone marketshare. Not to mention over 40 million sales for the S3 too. So I think right now, they'll probably bring in a hell of a lot of traffic.

Not to mention that amount of people that will now buy an AccessCase.
 
RightMACatU

RightMACatU

macrumors 65816
Jul 12, 2012
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Condition of use:
"Starbucks reserves the right to use and download your contact list and enable geolocation on your phone."

[ACCEPT] [I DON'T CARE]​

:D
 
C

CoMoMacUser

macrumors 65816
Jun 28, 2012
1,021
328
Kissaragi said:
Hopefully the iPhone 6 will support wirelessly charging out of the box without a case.
Click to expand...

There's an opportunity for Apple to show other vendors how to do wireless charging correctly. With too many phones and chargers, you basically have to hunt for the electronic equivalent of a G spot, or else it charges slowly or not at all.
 
ppc_michael

ppc_michael

Guest
Apr 26, 2005
1,498
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Los Angeles, CA
CoMoMacUser said:
There's an opportunity for Apple to show other vendors how to do wireless charging correctly. With too many phones and chargers, you basically have to hunt for the electronic equivalent of a G spot, or else it charges slowly or not at all.
Click to expand...

My Nexus 5 wireless charger uses magnets to guide the phone into the right spot as you set it down. Very easy. I love it.
 
U

unplugme71

macrumors 68030
May 20, 2011
2,827
754
Earth
Personally, I rather plug my phone into an outlet. I've done this at Panera and most other places. I rather be holding my phone than laying it down, possibly forgetting about it and then having to resort to Find My iPone.
 
charlituna

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
69Mustang said:
Who hangs out in a Starbucks long enough for wireless charging to have an impact? Unemployed actors? Aspiring writers?:confused:
Click to expand...

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.
 
R

rctlr

macrumors 6502a
May 9, 2012
738
175
As charge mats need power at the table/bar or whatever, why don't they just have USB Ports?
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.
 
C

CoMoMacUser

macrumors 65816
Jun 28, 2012
1,021
328
ppc_michael said:
My Nexus 5 wireless charger uses magnets to guide the phone into the right spot as you set it down. Very easy. I love it.
Click to expand...

What kind do you have? I didn't get the Orb when I bought my Nexus 4 because $60 was outrageous. I'm using a flat charger that has a light to indicate when it's in the right spot, and of course the phone chirps to confirm. But I've also had both confirm that charging has begun, and a few minutes later, it's stopped even though the phone hasn't vibrated, such as for a call.

The wireless charging process also takes at least twice as long. That's another reason why I rarely use it.
 
HobeSoundDarryl

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
Feb 8, 2004
12,197
15,485
Hobe Sound, FL (20 miles north of Palm Beach)
CoMoMacUser said:
There's an opportunity for Apple to show other vendors how to do wireless charging correctly. With too many phones and chargers, you basically have to hunt for the electronic equivalent of a G spot, or else it charges slowly or not at all.
Click to expand...

Translation: rather than adopt an existing wireless charging standard on which there are no licensing fees, Apple can roll out a new standard flexing the strength of the popularity of iOS devices to drive adoption of that replacement "standard" throughout the world, then enjoy the licensing fees.

After bashing the existing standards for years (probably mostly because iDevices don't support them while terrible Android devices do), as soon as Apple rolls out an adoption of some wireless standard, "we" will forget all those bashing comments against it and flip to the greatness of it under the typical spin of "Apple was the one who finally did it right" (to be replaced about 2+ years later by "Apple invented wireless charging").

And, as soon as the propagation of that "standard" reaches a point where it's almost everywhere, roll out a version 2 that has some backwards compatibility but really begs for upgrades and collect licensing again for all those upgrades. ;)

----------
rctlr said:
As charge mats need power at the table/bar or whatever, why don't they just have USB Ports? This does not alienate non-iphone/samsung s% users, and let people charge say, iPads.
Click to expand...

Liquids like coffee and electronics holes like USB ports do not mix well. But personally, I'd prefer that too.
 
J

jeffe

macrumors 6502a
Feb 17, 2008
601
50
CoMoMacUser said:
What kind do you have? I didn't get the Orb when I bought my Nexus 4 because $60 was outrageous. I'm using a flat charger that has a light to indicate when it's in the right spot, and of course the phone chirps to confirm. But I've also had both confirm that charging has begun, and a few minutes later, it's stopped even though the phone hasn't vibrated, such as for a call.

The wireless charging process also takes at least twice as long. That's another reason why I rarely use it.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for the Nexus 4 but I have the Nexus 5 and haven't plugged in my phone to charge since I got it. I use the LG flat charger at work and the tylt at home. They both charge quickly and I barely ever have to think about charging my phone.

To me it's very convenient not to have to use wires at all. I don't know about the Duracell power at but I've read it isn't compatible with most existing phones today that support wireless charging.
 
extricated

extricated

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
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Arkansas
rctlr said:
As charge mats need power at the table/bar or whatever, why don't they just have USB Ports?
Click to expand...

I tend to agree.
I really think this wireless concept is great, but most people I know use some type of case; usually one that isn't incredibly convenient to remove. I realize some folks carry their iPhones naked, but that's a very small minority - at least in my social circle.
Having said all that, as technology advances and one doesn't need a proprietary charger to use it, this would be a great convenience.
 
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