Coffee house introduces new smartphone technology to help consumers recharge over a coffee
Espoo, Finland and New York, NY - Nokia announced a deal with major US café chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® to offer wireless charging facilities in its cafés for customers who want to recharge their phones whilst on the go.
Bringing charging solutions from the home and office to the high street, Nokia will introduce integrated wireless charging plates into The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® cafés in select major metropolitan cities across the United States.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is the oldest and largest privately-held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States with more than 850 stores in 24 countries. It is also present in 40 prominent airport locations, such as Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Changi Airport in Singapore, and New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport.
This follows the launch of two new Nokia Windows Phone 8 devices which both offer wireless charging. The Nokia Lumia 920 features in-built wireless charging, while the new Nokia Lumia 820 benefits from wireless charging via a removable and exchangeable shell.
"With Nokia wireless charging access points located in its chain of coffee houses, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® can provide technology that will offer total convenience and simplicity to its consumers," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Smart Devices, Nokia. "The partnership highlights Nokia's commitment to making wireless charging as ubiquitous as Wi-Fi is today."
In addition, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, the world's largest privately held specialty coffee and tea retailer, will launch a new mobile app for Nokia Lumia and Windows Phone smartphones. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® app will include features such as social media feeds, store locator, store amenities and contact information. Additional features include seasonal beverage selections, gifts, charitable initiatives and much more.
"With the large number of customers that pass through each The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® cafe daily, many use it as a place to work, rest and play. Wireless charging provides a convenient way for consumers to recharge their phone while relaxing with a coffee, so that they can leave their house and use their phone freely without worrying about running low on battery," says Bob Kaufman, Vice President of Business Development at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®.
Nokia is part of the Wireless Power Consortium, an organization that supports the Qi wireless charging standard. This group is comprised of a number of operators, service providers, component suppliers and consumer electronics companies that have pledged their support to Qi and are working together to build an infrastructure ecosystem that will make it possible to charge wirelessly throughout the day. The Nokia wireless charging plates are able to charge any smartphone with wireless charging capabilities based on the Qi standard.
About Nokia
Nokia is a global leader in mobile communications whose products have become an integral part of the lives of people around the world. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people use their Nokia to capture and share experiences, access information, find their way or simply to speak to one another. Nokia's technological and design innovations have made its brand one of the most recognized in the world. For more information, visit http://www.nokia.com/about-nokia.
About The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®
Born and brewed in Southern California since 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® is the oldest and largest privately-held specialty coffee and tea retailer in the United States. Embodying a passion for connecting loyal customers to one another with carefully handcrafted products, the company is known for sourcing and providing the finest ingredients and flavors from around the world. For nearly 50 years, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® has demonstrated a passion for product innovation epitomized by The Original Ice Blended® beverage. The company has grown to be an international icon and currently has more than 850 stores in 24 countries. In 2010, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® launched the CBTL® Single Serve Beverage System that allows consumers to make their favorite espresso, brewed coffee, tea and specialty beverages at home, at the touch of a button. For more information, visit www.coffeebean.com, www.cbtl.com or www.facebook.com/coffeebean .