Admit it. If you've ever been in a situation where you need to charge your phone, but the outlet is not so close to where you're sitting on the couch or where you're lounging in bed, you get a little pang of anxiety knowing that it's so far away. Don't you wish there was a better way of doing what you need to do while still keeping tabs on your phone?
Well, now there is thanks to IKEA, which revealed some electrifying new furniture Sunday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The Swedish home furnishings giant has come up with a new line of furniture that wirelessly charges some mobile devices.
The new line includes bedside tables, desks and lamps that have wireless charging pads in them to give your mobile devices a boost of energy when they need it. The wireless charging pads are powered by Qi technology, which is the most-used wireless power standard in the world, according to the announcement of the new collection. You can check out some photos of the collection over at Gizmodo.
While the thought of just placing your smartphone on your bedside table and seeing it be fully charged the next time you pick it up is undoubtedly cool, the fact that this furniture has to be plugged in to do all of that seems a little worrisome in terms of fire hazards and the like, at least in these early stages. What happens when you inevitably spill something on your desk? Could your furniture overheat? This is now what we have to think about in the 21st century, I suppose.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see when IKEA rolls out this new collection in locations in Europe and North America starting April 15. Furniture with wireless charging stations built into them will cost 20 euro, or about $22.39, extra. IKEA will also sell wireless charging kits that you can add to any furniture you want for 30 euro or about $33.60.
As mobile devices continue to be a major part of our lives, we're going to see more and more major companies like IKEA figure out ways to cater to consumers' needs for constant mobile power. Starbucks also announced plans last year to have Duracell Powermats available in stores for customers to charge their mobile devices while they sip on a Caramel Macchiato. Corporations know you've got to have that mobile power, so providing a way to charge smartphones on the go could be a smart way to attract new customers and keep loyal ones happy.
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