Apple’s latest keynote took place last week when the company introduced the new iPhone 7 series as well as the second generation Apple Watch. Moreover, during the presentation, Apple invited Niantic CEO John Hanke to the stage, who talked about the release of Pokemon GO on watchOS and indeed the Apple Watch. Great news for Pokemon fans and Apple users, but sadly for Android enthusiasts, as yet there is no official word on the release of Pokemon GO for Android Wear. However, the good news is that according to recent findings in the latest Pokemon GO build for Android (version 0.37.0), the game is likely to make its way to Android Wear eventually.
Although Niantic has been keeping quiet in regards to the possibility of Pokemon GO being released on Android Wear, the folks over at Pokemon GO Hub have managed to data mine some interesting bits of information from the latest Pokemon GO build for Android. The data reveals that the code implementation for Android Wear is market as complete and ready for release, suggesting that the version for Google’s wearable platform should be just around the corner. Then again, even if we assume that the Android Wear version of Pokemon GO is ready for the masses from a technical standpoint, judging by current events it looks like the Apple Watch could enjoy a bit of exclusivity for a limited period of time. Either way, from their data mining the folks at Pokemon Go Hub have also discovered that the code scans for hardware specifications and adapts accordingly, suggesting that Pokemon GO for wearables should be compatible with a variety of Android Wear models. It also appears that data between the watch and the smartphone is passed along via Bluetooth, and the source also discovered that the communication between the Android Watch app and the smartphone app is encrypted with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
Last but not least, the code reportedly contains references to Pokemon GO Plus, which, although it was delayed a couple of months ago, it is now approaching a market launch on September 16 for the price of $35 a pop. For readers who may be wondering, Pokemon GO Plus is an accessory for Pokemon GO, allowing players to catch Pokemon and activate PokeStops with a click of a button. At the end of the day and given all the information above, it’s very likely that Pokemon GO for wearables will not remain a watchOS exclusive, however, as yet there’s no official word on the matter so things are subject to change.
