Ikea gets smart with furniture

Conshohocken, Pa. – It may not be quite as cool as a shoe phone or a “Cone of Silence,” but Ikea is getting smart with furniture. Specifically, the retailer is releasing a line of “Smart Home” bedroom tables and lamps that will include built-in wireless charging spots for mobile devices.



The furniture will need to be plugged in, but users can simply rest mobile devices on specially marked spots for wireless charging. Ikea will also sell wireless charging pads that customers can use with existing Ikea furniture they have already purchased.



According to Ikea, the Smart Home furniture will help consumers reduce the clutter of cables for charging various wireless devices in their home. Interestingly, Ikea is using the Qi wireless standard used on some Android and Windows phones, but not the market-leading iPhone. However, Ikea will sell charging covers for iPhones and older models of the Samsung Galaxy, which do not use Qi.



"People hate cable mess,” said Jeanette Skjelmose, manager of lighting and wireless charging, Ikea. “They worry about not finding the charger and running out of power. Our new innovative solutions, which integrate wireless charging into home furnishings, will make life at home simpler."



Ikea will start selling Smart Home furniture in the U.S., U.K. and Europe in April.