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Putting Pikachu on your wrist: ‘Pokémon Go’ may be coming to Android Wear

By Gabe Gurwin Published September 15, 2016

Pokémon Go is nothing short of a worldwide phenomenon, but it appears that Niantic, the company that produced the app, is looking to get the augmented reality game into the hands of yet another group: Android Wear users.

Data miners at fansite Pokémon Go Hub were able to gather the information from the game’s latest build on Android, 0.37.0, and found a number of clues that suggest the game will soon hit Android Wear devices.

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The Android game “contains a whole new ‘pokemongoplus’ project referencing Pokémon Go implementation on Android Wear,” according to the report. The device will communicate with Android phones over Bluetooth and the Android Wear version of Pokémon Go Plus will not require the full game to be open on your smartphone.

With Pokémon Go in the background, the app will still allow you to both track and capture Pokémon and get items from Pokéstops. This appears to function differently than the recently announced Apple Watch version, which will still require you to pull your phone out to actually capture new Pokémon.

The data mining also revealed that the communication between the Android Wear devices and smartphones will be encrypted via AES, or “Advanced Encryption Standard.” The data gathered also suggests that iOS users will still be able to play Pokémon Go using Android Wear, though it isn’t completely clear to what extent this will work, or if it will have the same functionality as the Android Wear-to-Android version.

The code lists the app’s build version as “release,” so we expect to hear more from developer Niantic in the not-too-distant future. If you don’t have a smartwatch, you may want to check out the dedicated “Pokémon Go Plus” device. It’s compatible with both iOS and Android and will alert you whenever you’re near either a Pokéstop or a wild Pokémon.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

Gaming

NBA All-World aims to replicate Pokémon Go’s success starting today

A player walks around their neighborhood's map in NBA All-World.

Niantic launched NBA All-World, its basketball-themed, location-based mobile game, on iOS and Android today. Ahead of this release, Digital Trends attended a presentation to learn more about how the sports AR title works.
If you've played any of Niantic's games before, many elements of NBA All-World will feel quite familiar. The mobile game tracks players' location and encourages them to explore. While doing so, players will find Drop Zones that grant them new gear. Niantic says Drop Zones will often be placed near real-world counterparts, so players can find money near a bank or shoes near a shoe store.
There will also be Player Encounters, where they can face off against current NBA athletes. Niantic tells Digital Trends that classic athletes aren't currently in the game, but feels that idea "is a good one."

In Player Encounters, users face off against athletes in one of four minigames: 3-Point Shootout, Beat the Clock, Around the World, and First-to-Five. While they feature some impressive and realistic animation for a mobile game, Niantic says these minigames only use simple swipe controls because the studio wanted to make something that is easy to play while someone is walking around their neighborhood. If a user wins a Player Encounter, they can recruit that athlete to their team, customize them with items found at Drop Zones, and upgrade them by playing with them. Players can also challenge players they already recruited again to earn more currency.
The title also includes "Rule the Court" neighborhood leaderboards, many of which are placed at real-world basketball courts, where players can compete for the highest score. Currently, there are no player-versus-player elements in NBA All-World, although Niantic understands players like competitive modes in their sports games and may add them in the future. In fact, many features are still in the pipeline for post-launch updates, including Niantic's trademark AR support. Early in the second quarter of 2023, Niantic plans on adding AR support to NBA All-World to enhance the loot drops from Drop Zones to make it look like they're happening in the real world.
One thing that will be in the game at launch is microtransactions, which Niantic says will be similar to the ones available in its other games and allow players to increase their athletes' stats with Offense, Defense, and Fitness boosts.
Despite the undeniable success of Pokémon Go, Niantic has never been able to completely replicate its success with games like Harry Potter: Wizards Unite or Pikmin Bloom. However, the studio seems confident that basketball has the global mass appeal to make NBA All-World another massive hit for the company. The early footage we saw of the game does leave us optimistic for NBA All-World's prospects, but we'll ultimately have to wait and see if the game will make it past its rookie season.
NBA All-World is available now for iOS and Android.

Mobile

Wear OS 3 is finally coming to these older smartwatches this month

Fossil Skagen Falster Gen 6 on the wrist.

Wear OS 3 has been supported by Samsung smartwatches for over a year at this point, but now it's finally coming to Fossil devices in just a few days. While the launch of the Google Pixel Watch today has put Wear OS 3 back in the spotlight, Fossil smartwatches are the first to be upgraded from the previous Wear OS 2 version.

While it's certainly exciting that Wear OS 3 is coming to more devices, it's important to note that it won't be headed to all of Fossil's lineup. As reported by Android Central, the upcoming Fossil Gen 6 Wellness Edition will be launching with Wear OS 3; the Fossil Gen 6, the Michael Kors Gen 6, and the Skagen Falster Gen 6 will all be receiving the OS update together when the Wellness Edition launches. Luckily, fans won't have to wait long as the update rolls out on October 17.

Mobile

The Pixel Watch puts the best of Google’s software on your wrist for $350

Google Assistant on the Google Pixel Watch.

Google has finally launched its first smartwatch, the aptly named Pixel Watch. It stays true to the famed Pixel formula of mixing half-decent hardware with a ton of Google-integrated services to offer a seamless software experience.

For the Pixel Watch, Google is charging $350 a pop. But if you’re eyeing the version with cellular connectivity (4G) support, prepare to pay a cool $400. For comparison, the Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $400, while the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5’s LTE variant costs only $330 right now.
What's on the table?
The Pixel Watch’s design is fresh, thanks to the dramatically curved glass alongside the periphery, meeting the metallic shell halfway through. It will be available in three case choices – matte black, polished silver, and champagne gold – all made out of stainless steel.