In November 2014, Starbucks announced the national roll out of Powermat wireless charging. You’ll find the Powermat website here, and their Twitter profile here.
Obviously, Powermat hasn’t made it to all Starbucks stores in the United States yet. An official Starbucks spokesperson (Maggie Jantzen) mentioned to me that currently Starbucks has launched powermat in select cities: “We do have the Powermat spots now live in the San Francisco Bay area, the greater Los Angeles area, Boston and New York.” Actually, one of my readers very recently mentioned to me that she saw Powermat charging stations in Chicago Starbucks as well, so perhaps Chicago was very recently added to the list of cities with this wireless charging technology.
My own first chance to try out the Powermat wireless charging technology was over the Christmas holidays in California. I had traveled to Orange County for the holidays and stumbled upon the Powermat system in place in stores in Orange, Irvine, Costa Mesa, and a few more places. (The greater Los Angeles area mention by media relations obviously includes LA county and the adjacent Orange County.)
This was pretty cool!! I felt so high tech charging my cell phone with a wireless charger! At a Starbucks in Irvine (where I was only planning on running in and out until I saw the Powermat charging), I happened to have both my cell phone and Kindle with me. I charged my phone, read my Kindle, and enjoyed a Flat White! (This isn’t relevant to the article, but in case you’re wondering, I’m currently reading Station Eleven. Before that, I read Snakes in Suits, which should be mandatory reading for anyone in an HR field! Snakes in Suits is about how psychopaths make their way – and succeed – in a corporate work environment!)
I downloaded the app to my phone, plugged in the round charger, and charged away. My phone told me I was charging:
Also your phone will tell your charging progress:
The charge was pretty fast too. I definitely like this technology. I wish it were available here in Seattle! Maybe someone at the SSC will read this and bring it to Seattle? 😉
I have to admit, I wondered if transitioning to Powermat wireless charging would mean covering up outlets in the stores? The FAQ section of the Powermat website says that the Powermat charging system isn’t designed for tablets, and I have to assume that means simple laptop users as well. As I was working on writing this article, I saw this news story about a customer bringing a gigantic computer setup in a Starbucks. I can definitely say that as I was sitting there charging my phone, the thought never occurred to me that transitioning to Powermat wireless charging could result in fewer people sitting in Starbucks stores, hanging out on computers and laptops. Statistically, the overwhelming majority of the Starbucks business is “to go.” At one time, I think I’d heard that it was something like 70% to 80% of all customers are just running in and out of the stores. I’ve also heard that the percentage of “to go” orders is on the rise as more and more major remodels of stores add a drive thru, and generally with a lot of new construction of drive thru locations. Here in Seattle, you’re hard pressed to walk into a Starbucks and not find a place to sit, but I’ve heard it’s not at all like that in other cities. Covering up electrical outlets could increase that percentage of “to go” customers? The caveat here is only that I’m just thinking out loud, and don’t have a strong position on this, but I wonder if one reason to moving to Powermat charging is to discourage laptop users?
Here are a few more pics from Orange County. Have you tried wireless charging?
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Melody, Seen these at the Linden Aviation plaza store in NJ. I thought it was cool. That store has a huge hang out crowd. I personally go through hanging out in store in stages. I really enjoy when I can hang out outdoors. But lately have been eating my oatmeal and having my coffee in store. Some locations here in Jersey have such a hang out crowd it is difficult to find a parking space.
I think your conspiracy theory is unfounded. Since there will always a risk of customers walking off with the “ring” chances are Powermat would not be installed at busy and/or high-crime areas where outlets are already being covered up. In any case, Powermat would actually free up the outlets for those who need them for laptops — something of a newer problem that was not anticipated five or six years ago (when most cell phones were feature phones and battery lasted for days at a time, unlike smartphones that consume much more electricity). It is to Starbucks’ interest that people actually sat around — it theoretically reduces paper cup waste (if partners remember enough that there are those white porcelain cups) and also aligns with the company’s vision of being a “third place.” Otherwise Starbucks would have eliminated seating areas and made it all drive-thru, like competitors Dutch Bros. Coffee and Black Rock Coffee. In any case technology is already there to limit Wi-Fi usage (in fact when Starbucks rolled out free Wi-Fi about 10 years ago, it used to disconnect automatically after two hours). Maybe there will be some enterprising guy who might bring in his own portable generator….
@Amy – You make good points. I love the 3rd place aspect of Starbucks! 🙂 Also, I have heard many people talk about customers walking away with the powermat rings. Some of that could happen accidentally – forgetting that it’s attached. Though it doesn’t make sense for customers to take the Powermat rings because it is not like they’ll have a powermat charging system at home!
The first Starbucks wifi was actually a system you paid for. I remember paying for it a couple of times in that 2001 – 2004 era, when I was in law school. In 2008, with the earliest first generation of Starbucks rewards (long-since overhauled and changed) you got 2 hours of free wifi with a gold card. Then later, it was just free for all.
Interesting concept to me. The store I frequent most often is very busy. Insanely busy in the morning. My son and I go in 3 out of 5 weekdays, since my daughter has early morning school activities. Luke and I go in, so he can catch up on homework, and frankly, for a little “treat”, since he is supportive of his sister’s extra-curricular activities. Some mornings we have to wait for a place to sit, and it would be interesting to see if the Powermat would help us with that.
A couple of things in your post seemed odd to me. I live in the San Francisco area and we have had the powermat system for what seems like two-three years. Maybe not that long, but I am pretty sure they did it when the store remodeled. In any case, we have an abundance of outlets for laptops. The powermats were only installed in certain areas of the store (the public table and the wheelchair access table). All the other tables were unaffected and still near their regular outlets. Additionally, where the main powermat junction was, they included an outlet with it.
You also mentioned needing to install an app. I don’t understand that? Why? I just plug the adapter into my phone and away it goes. I have an iPhone – do Androids need and app?
I suppose the statement about not supporting tablets can be accurate since the power supply needs for some are greater than others. But I have an iPad and it charges just fine.
When they installed the system PowerMat (Duracell) had info brochures and offered free adapters to the first x hundred people who replied with a request. Being one who likes free and tech, I sent a note in and have my own. For a long while Starbucks was selling them, but now it seems they don’t. Why buy when they have a rack of them for free use while in store?
On another note, it is very humorous to watch people (in general, but specifically here) come in and see the system for the first time. Again, to us locals it is common and we have forgotten the wonder of the first time. You see people’s faces light up with wonder and amazement. Brings a smile to me every time.
@Len – It *seems* like Starbucks’ intent is to roll the Powermats out to many cities. I’m not convinced that there is any thought to do this in conjunction with covering up outlets – it was just a passing thought when I saw the news story about the person with the gigantic computer inside a Starbucks.
I do have an Android phone, and yes I had to download an app. It was very easy to do. The app downloaded quickly and it wasn’t a big deal. Took 2 seconds to figure out how to get myself charging. Maybe iPhones have something pre-installed? The FAQ says that the wireless charging may work for some iPads, but charging will be slower.
It is a wonderful thing to use! When I asked about it, my stores in the Orange County area had only had Powermat since about last fall – maybe September 2015 ish??
I certainly hope they don’t get rid of outlets. I’m in the 20% of people who like to go in and sit down and hang out for a bit. I usually do my freelance work there on my laptop, sometimes I need the outlet, sometimes not. I think the power mats are a good way to free up outlets for more laptop users (hopefully not desktop users). At my Roscoe store, I believe only the big community tables have the mats. Some of the stores in my areas have had the power mats sitting out for what seems a couple of years, but just haven’t offered the rings. Which is weird. I’ve noticed that in your photo, there’s a black ring that looks like it’s for “old school” iPads and iPhones, I don’t think my store got that one.
I’m looking forward to the change, especially as more phones have wireless charging built-in.
I imagine that if an app is required that at some point it will be rolled into the Starbucks app, making the process more accessible.
Regardless, long-term this could convince me to come in more often. When I’m in for a good stay (generally reading) I would definitely like to know that my phone will be fully charged when I leave.
Lastly, definitely looking forward to the roll-out when it hits Salem. Also hoping that the iPhone 7 has a built-in wireless charger that’s compatible, would be rather fantastic!
Yes, I remember those days when one had to buy a $10 T-Mobile Wi-Fi day pass to get online from Starbucks. I think T-Mobile customers could use it free with their own phone plan. (It was T-Mobile, before Starbucks switched it to AT&T and now Google.) Around that time free Wi-Fi was just about everywhere except Starbucks and McDonald’s.
I have a confession of being one of “those people” once. I bought a used computer in 2005, tried to set up the operating system but it required an active Internet access. Anyway, I managed to put the box, a monitor (NOT the flat kind back then!) and a keyboard onto a hand truck and went 10 blocks to a certain non-Starbucks (I personally knew the owner for some time) during the time I knew the place was deserted. It took me maybe 3 hours to run some tests and set up the system to a satisfactory functionality. The fact is, though, Starbucks being such a ubiquitous presence, many people depend on their reliable and fast Internet connection while traveling or when something happens. A few months ago there was a power outage in my neighborhood due to wind and downed trees, and there are two Starbucks locations, one on each side of the neighborhood but on different electrical grids. Both places were packed with all the people who were forced offline. I have much appreciation for Starbucks.
I think each location has its own dynamic. I know of several locations in residential neighborhoods with plenty of space and not whole a lot of customer traffic, and there are *insane* locations like Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square or Seattle’s Westlake Center. If I needed to work on something I would be in the former.
There have been powermats in nyc stores for a while now- but just at the counter seats, not individual tables. I actually haven’t had a need to use one myself but nice to know the option is there if my phone is dying.
It’s near impossible to ever find a seat in a manhattan starbucks, there are a large number of people with laptops who look like they live there in each and every location.
It’s kinda sad that people are waking off with the charger rings. I think in my store we order twice to get it replaced and it still gets stolen. There’s no point because the only place to use them is at a Starbucks but I think since maybe take them, they go to another Starbucks and it’s missing so it’s like a cycle of taking a ring so that way they do have it when they go to another store.