Ikea costumers should get a charge out of the Swedish company's new line of furniture.
Literally get a charge — as in for their smartphones and other mobile devices.
At last week's Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, Spain, Ikea introduced a collection of tables, desks and lamps that include charging pads. You don't even have to plug in your phone to bring that dead battery back to life. The pad works through energy induction transfer, meaning all you have to do is set your smartphone down on it.
The furniture, called the Home Smart line, must be plugged into an electrical outlet, of course.
The charging pads will work on Android and Windows phones right away. Ikea said that it will start selling cases for Apple and Samsung Galaxy phones that will enable them to use the charging pad, too.
The goal of the wireless chargers is not only convenience but also to keep with the clean, lean aesthetic of Scandinavian design. "People hate cable mess," Jeanette Skjelmose, an Ikea business manager, said in a news release.
The collection will be in U.S. stores by April 15, the company promised. It said that the charger would add 20 euros — which would be $22.05 — to the cost of a piece of furniture.
And, yes, you have to install it yourself. This is Ikea, after all. □
