The convenience of wireless charging is obvious at home and in the car. Many people write about their experience with wireless-charging at home. Typical reactions include:

• “Now I have it, I wouldnt be without it. Ive put charging pads in the two offices I work in regularly, and by my bed.”
• “I have three Qi wireless charging pads at home and in the office, and find it much more convenient to just set down a device on the pad rather than messing around with a USB cable and figuring out which end is up to plug it in.”
• “I will admit to believing it was a gimmick at first. Six months later, it is a necessity. I love the wireless features, and would never buy another phone without it.”

More of these statements can be found here.

Public wireless charging services are available in Japan (many coffee shops), Europe (some McDonalds and some coffee shops), and in the USA (some coffee shops). So how does the wireless charging experience differ in public spaces?

Clearly, it’s convenient to charge your phone simply by putting it on the table rather than plugging into a power outlet; provided you have a phone or tablet that supports wireless charging, of course.

There are, however, a few limitations specific to charging in a public place like a coffee shop, especially when comparing the service to WiFi.

A coffee shop will have only a few wireless charging spots at first

Coffee shops like Starbucks have mostly free-standing tables; wireless chargers cannot be integrated into free standing tables without running loose power lines over the shop floor. That limits the number of possible locations for wireless charger to the one or two tables that are fixed to the wall or shop window.

The consequence is that you, as the customer, cannot rely on the availability of a wireless charging spot. You are out of luck if someone else is sitting at the one and only table with wireless charging built in.

WiFi service is very different in this aspect. A WiFi service is available at all tables, everywhere in the store.

This limitation does not apply at home, in the office or while driving. The typical wireless-charging user has two or three charging spots available right where they need them.

You cannot easily use your phone or tablet while charging wirelessly

Browsing the web and reading emails is not convenient when your phone is sitting on a charging pad, so charging time cannot be shared with those activities.  Again, the WiFi service is very different in this aspect. WiFi also works when you are holding the phone and while moving around.

This limitation does not have the same impact at  home, or while driving. You use your phone differently while driving: you make hands-free calls, or use it as navigation tool, but holding your phone while driving is not a great idea. And at home you typically charge while sleeping, or while your phone is docked in an audio speaker, like the models offered by JBL or TDK.

The benefits of wireless charging are obvious at home and while driving

Wireless charging is more convenient than wired charging. That is obvious in any location, but especially obvious when charging at home, in the office, and while driving. When travelling most users will carry a wired charger anyway, and continue to plug in one of the many mains outlets that coffee shops so conveniently offer next to these comfortable reclining sofas.

The public wireless charging infrastructure needs distinctive  user benefits to prosper

The true convenience of wireless power will be realized when we can use it in all locations – home, office, car, and also in public places. We can make adoption in public spaces successful by offering users a charging experience that is better than what they get when plugging in their wired chargers. We can offer that superior experience by paying attention to how people charge today in those public spaces.