The folks over at Powermat Technologies are really happy these days. Why? Because Starbucks announced that it will adopt the developer’s Power Matters Alliance (PMA) standard for wireless charging. The coffeehouse chain is launching 1,500 wireless charging stations at two hundred stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. Starbucks is rolling out these wireless charging stations to cities over time rather than doing it nationwide. Starbucks does not exactly say which cities or countries are ahead, but does clarify more will follow in 2015. This approach allows any problems to be identified and fixed before proceeding to the next city.
It is a big win for the PMA wireless charging standard. Its rival, Qi, has been adopted by major companies including Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Nokia. The PMA is supported by AT&T, Duracell, and Energy Star. Starbucks went with PMA because of its servicing. The wireless charging stations will not require outlets to be checked extensively. The company will instead monitor the equipment from a distance.
It will not be as easy as walking into a Starbucks and charging right away, though. The company will sell $9.99 adaptors for iOS and Android devices. This is because a good portion of devices do not ship with wireless charging, let alone the PMA standard. The adapters are identified by color; therefore, you will not have to worry about mixing them up. For skeptics, Starbucks will loan adapters.
What do you think about wireless charging? Is one wireless charging standard going to prevail? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Via: Re/code
Come comment on this article: Starbucks goes with Power Matters Alliance as its wireless charging standard
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