Starbucks Brews Wireless Cellphone Charging in San Francisco Stores

Starbucks has announced it will be providing their clients with a second way to recharge their batteries–literally–through the introduction of wireless Powermat charging stations, which have already arrived throughout their San Francisco locations.

According to ABC 10 News, the international coffee giant has partnered up with Duracell Powermat to bring 100,000 of these charging pads to the chain’s 7,500 U.S. locations over the next three years. That makes for approximately 12 Powermats per store, ABC notes. Other major cities will soon begin receiving the power upgrades as well. 

The new move is part of Starbucks’ intent to appeal to a young-ish, techie clientele, notes USA Today. Starbucks is also hoping to champion the move as a way to help reduce stress, as battery depletion ranks first among cell phone users. “Not only is Starbucks eliminating the stress, it’s giving customers a cool reason to linger and buy another $4 cup of its designer coffee.”

Starbucks’ new, technology-oriented move, could make wireless charging more mainstream and result in a win-win for them as well as for Duracell, which has partnered up with the Powerless Matters Alliance (PMA). And the Starbucks Powermat program could make the PMA standard, just that; more standard, notes ABC.

Individuals who don’t have charging pad-compatible phones can purchase an inexpensive receiver ring which plugs into their phones, thus enabling the charging function.