Pokémon Gois a unique phenomenon . We ’ve seen flash - in - the - pan app releases before , but the excitement usually fizzles out in a mean solar day or two . Pokémon Go has been out just over a week now , and it already has more daily participating users than Tinder , is touch Twitter ’s goodish ranks , and has made an $ 7.5 billion wallop on Nintendo ’s stock .
As an app , Pokémon Go is n’t all that telling . In fact , I ’m willing to reckon that if you took Nintendo and Pokémon out of the par it would barely make a slit in the App Store . But thanks to Pikachu and Co. , millions of users are willing to overlook the crude interface and repetitive gameplay as they wander their neighborhoods seek to round up as many creatures as they can .
Along with their love of pocket monster , however , all Pokémon Go actor have another thing in common : They ’re constantly begin at their speech sound . Pokémon Go may be the first app that has read augmented reality mainstream , but its heavy reliance on the smartphone ’s screen has already been find fault for car crashes and other mishaps , and at some point users are just going to get tired of holding their phones all day . And that ’s why the Apple Watch could take the game to the next stage .
Minimized distraction
Pokémon Go does n’t have an Apple Watch component yet , just the standalone app for Io and Android . Smartphones provide a dependable experience than a hand-held console like the three-D would , taking full reward of our mobile phones ’ cameras and sensors .
What would you rather assume , an Apple Watch , or this matter ?
An Apple Watch app would elevate the iOS experience , notifying you when Pokemon are nearby or permit you toss Poke Balls with a flick of your wrist . If you could find one for sale , there ’s already a wrist - hold out $ 35 accessory , thePokémon Go Plus , that fire up up and seethe when Pokémon are nearby , in case your phone is tuck aside and you ca n’t finger it vibrate . But an interactive smartwatch app would be so much good .
The Apple Watch ’s purpose is to reduce the amount of time you spend with your iPhone , and a companion Pokémon Go app for your wrist could do so much more than just alert you to nearby colossus . The smartphone game guides you to rule Pokémon by indicating with one to three mitt print how far away they are . To catch them , you flicker Poké Balls at them from your smartphone screen . To evolve them or level them up , you feed them Candies ( do n’t worry , this is all in our beginner ’ guide ) . Any of this could be done on the wrist , and could lead in foresighted biz sessions if you’re able to leave your smartphone ’s display off for a few more minutes at a time , yield your electric battery a gap . I ’d even wager that a lot of Pokémon Masters would bear to unlock a smartwatch app as an in - app leverage .
The next level
If the plot has staying major power , Apple and Nintendo could even partner to make a special edition Pokémon Go Apple Watch , maybe a Sport simulation with a violent - and - white band and special Pickachu aspect . Of of course , pay hundreds for an Apple Watch — which still requires an iPhone to work — just for a kid to play Pokémon is a stretch . But while kids already monopolise their parents ’ iPhones , Pokémon Go requires constant wakefulness .
Not all the gameplay could be offloaded to the Apple Watch , at least not until it had GPS and a television camera . But every little routine would help our misfortunate iPhones ’ battery …
The game ’s natural progression could direct it to be alone wrist joint - worn at some point , once more smartwatches have dedicated GPS chips . Eventually , the watch app could be the mass of the experience , with the smartwatch app allow a logarithm of your progression , like the Activity app for the iPhone .
There are alreadyrumorsthat Apple wants to add together GPS to the Apple Watch , but an augment world experience like Pokémon Go would need a tiny camera as well . ( Please , not likethe first Samsung Gearsmartwatch ’s horrifying camera , rising wart - like from the shoulder strap . )
An untethered augmented reality experience could accelerate the Apple Watch as a gambling platform while help twist - addicted kids get out of doors and get some exercise . It would twist their backyards into an RPG and the Apple Watch into a new variety of gambling scheme , one that does n’t get in the way of where you ’re going .
