Starbucks is planning to add another bit of ambiance to its stores: wireless charging for smartphones.
The company has announced it's in the early stages of a national deployment of Powermat chargers — little circular pads embedded in counters and tabletops that juice up compatible devices.
Pads will show up in San Francisco shops first, with expansion to other cities starting next year.
Powermat competes with existing wireless power standards, most notably the Qi system, found on handsets from Nokia and recent Nexus devices.
To take advantage of the free power, customers would need a compatible phone and case, or an add-on charging ring that sits on the mat.
Powermat says the adapters are available at AT&T stores, but according to The Wall Street Journal, neither Powermat nor Starbucks have said whether they’ll be available for purchase right alongside your morning coffee.
You can see a list of powermat-equipped Starbucks stores here. There's no word yet on what will happen to the charger if you knock your Frappuccino onto it.
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