Skip to main content

Clear your schedule — 'Pokémon Go' has come to the Apple Watch

apple watch pokemon go applewatch pikachu pr v03 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Clear your schedule. Pokémon Go has made its Apple Watch debut.

Despite a fallacious claim that Niantic was no longer bringing Pokémon Go to the iEmpire’s wearable, the hugely popular game is now out and about on Apple Watch-wearing wrists. That means no more reaching into your pocket to pull out your phone to catch Pokémon. No — rather, you can just tap the app on your watch, and start catching ’em all. Better still, you can record the time you spend playing the game as a “workout.”

Recommended Videos

Indeed, the fitness aspect of the game may be what is most distinctly amplified by its new presence on the Apple Watch. Seeing as the wearable already serves as something of a fitness tracker, it’ll be a no-brainer to log your Pokémon-hunting sessions as part of your daily activity. Moreover, Apple Watch sessions can contribute to hatching your Pokémon eggs. Indeed, the game, which has been downloaded more than 600 million times, has encouraged a lot of walking about. Niantic noted that gamers have logged more than 8.7 billion kilometers, and have captured 88 billion Pokémon in the process. To put that in perspective, that’s about 200,000 trips around the globe.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Of course, outside of the fitness component, the Apple Watch integration comes with some other perks, too. For example, you’ll get push notifications on your wrist when there are Pokémon nearby, when you’re in the vicinity of a PokéStop, when your eggs hatch, and when medals are awarded.

That said, in order to actually catch a Pokémon, you’ll still need the help of your trusty iPhone.

Niantic has released a number of other updates to the app as of late, with hopes of keeping gamers interested as the initial excitement of the VR/AR experience wears off. Pokémon Go has also taken on partnerships with companies like Starbucks, bringing in these big names to act as Gym and PokéStop destinations.

So go ahead, Pokémon enthusiasts. Let your wrist be your guide.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Trading comes to Pokémon TCG Pocket later this month, but there’s a catch
Moltres and Zapdos cards in Pokemon TCG Pocket.

Pokémon TCG Pocket is finally bringing the trading function to the game later this month. One of the hottest titles on the market, TCG Pocket is a more simplified, streamlined version of the regular trading card game with a heavier focus on card collecting than battling. Trading is a big part of that, but the feature has been unavailable since launch.

In what should come as no surprise, there are restrictions on how trade works. You will only be able to trade cards with a diamond rarity of one through four or cards with a one-star rarity, and alternate art cards won't be tradeable. You need to be friends with the person you're trading with, too. Cards must also be the same rarity to be eligible for trade, so you won't be able to swap a one-diamond Heatmor for a three-diamond Serperior, no matter how many of them you might have. (At last count, I have 17 Heatmor. Send help.)

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 3 might get this crucial feature before the Apple Watch
Someone wearing the OnePlus Watch 2.

Despite launching the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R last week, OnePlus and parent company Oppo are already gearing up for another release in February. At this event, OnePlus could launch the OnePlus Open 2 and the OnePlus Watch 3. While unofficial leaks about these devices are ramapnt, a recent official teaser indicates the OnePlus Watch 3 might also get blood pressure monitoring.

The teaser comes from Zhou Yibao, a product manager at OnePlus' parent company, Oppo. In a post on Chinese social media site Weibo, Yibao shared a look at the upcoming Oppo Watch X2, which is highly likely to be rebranded as the OnePlus Watch 3. While the post explicitly mentions that the Watch X2 will detect unusual fluctuations in blood pressure, an image attached to the post shows blood pressure trends over a fortnight, with a duration that indicates the risk of hypertension.

Read more
Pokémon Go is ending support for certain older Android phones
pokemon go

In the eight years since Pokémon Go first made its way onto the global stage, the app has seen a lot of changes. While most have been beneficial updates, Niantic recently broke a bit of unfortunate news: Pokémon Go will lose support for 32-bit Android devices.

If you're on iPhone or a 64-bit Android device, don't worry; nothing will change for you. However, players using a Galaxy S5, OnePlus One, Sony Xperia Z3, and other devices of a similar age should consider upgrading their phone. Pokémon Go will no longer be accessible on those devices once the update goes live. Your account will still be there, but you won't be able to play or participate in events until you load the app up on a compatible device.

Read more