Starbucks, Google, and AT&T have decided to support the Power Matters Alliance: a wireless power standards group formed by Powermat and Procter & Gamble (parent company of Duracell). The Alliance intends to create wireless power standards for phones and devices under the IEEE association's guidelines, and competes with other wireless standards groups like the Alliance for Wireless Power (of which Powermat is also a supporter), and the Wireless Power Consortium (which pushes for the Qi standard). The alliance's biggest rival, Qi, is backed by a number of hardware vendors including Samsung, Motorola, LG, and HTC.
As part of its support for the PMA, Starbucks plans to pilot Duracell Powermat charging stations in 17 of its Boston-area stores, which could lead to a broader rollout — something that would give the PMA, and by extension, Duracell Powermat, an important foothold in the US. As Boston.com reports, Starbucks says that the company plans to test the charging stations through the holidays, survey its customers and stores early next year, and then "regroup with Powermat to figure out the next steps."
Comments
Game of Phones.
By theoutliner on 10.29.12 10:56am
Sort of pointless when only the 820, 920 & N4 support it.
By VoxMediaUser622334 on 10.29.12 10:56am
Actually, don’t they support Qi which is different?
By forTheVerge on 10.29.12 10:59am
The 820/920 do support Qi
By EShy on 10.29.12 11:06am
Oh so even worse, it supports literally nothing.
By VoxMediaUser622334 on 10.29.12 11:37am
The s3 has a certain back battery casing you can pick up for wireless charging too I do believe
By K3nbo on 10.29.12 11:03am
By your standard of what is pointless, nothing new will ever be worth creating.
By Aokusman on 10.29.12 12:10pm
No. They’re running a business man. I don’t know if the cases for the older blackberrys and iphone 3gs are supported, but you better believe they’ll continue to crank out cases for other popular phones.
http://duracellpowermat.com/wireless-power-cases/galaxys3.html
http://duracellpowermat.com/wireless-power-cases/iphone4.html
By simbadogg on 10.29.12 2:39pm
N4 supports Qi. This is truly REVOLUTIONARY!!
iPhone 5 is OBSOLETE ALREADY!
By MoMonies on 10.29.12 2:52pm
The Nexus 4 has the induction coil for wireless charging….. FYI.
By Alchemist IQ on 10.29.12 11:00am
Just thought about that. Google is backing this Alliance, and their main OEMs are supporting another standard?? That’s that ish I don’t like.
By ddpacino on 10.29.12 11:42am
Google have confirmed that the Nexus 4’s wireless charging is still Qi-compatible; works with the powermats from Nokia etc, so the different alliances are supporting standards that aren’t so different.
Would be interesting to know what the differences actually are.
By Namarrgon on 10.31.12 10:31pm
Remind me of this
By Danny Gho on 10.29.12 11:05am
Indeed.
By ddpacino on 10.29.12 11:42am
I don’t think I’d leave my phone untethered on a public mat unless the mat was right next to my table. It would be too easy for someone to pocket it and walk out of the store.
By CheckwDavid on 10.29.12 11:06am
That is the thing.
It will be integrated to the tables. So that you don’t have to leave your phone on the other end of the room.
By Skinksallad on 10.29.12 12:08pm
Come on, can’t these companies pull their shit together and just support one standard? I don’t want to have to think about whether my phone is Qi or Powermat compatible and whether the coffee shop I’m sitting on gas one vs. the other.
By mammaldood on 10.29.12 11:06am
- THIS -
By Systemic33 on 10.29.12 11:44am
So Google backs the Power Matters Alliance while Motorola backs the alliance’s biggest rival, Qi?
How does that work?
By ChrisSsk on 10.29.12 11:08am
By BranFlake30 on 10.29.12 11:13am
Fucking magnets.
By ThatMatthew on 10.29.12 12:05pm
Yeah, this is stupid. Service companies back one thing, hardware companies back another.
By uberlaff on 10.29.12 11:11am
Actually, Google also backs Qi. The Nexus 4 specifically works with Qi chargers.
By loopyduck on 10.29.12 7:52pm
Does it support Lumia 920 Wireless charging?
By Mike_Grasbie on 10.29.12 11:12am
Nope.
By probablyup on 10.29.12 12:00pm