Tag: standalone smartwatch

Pokemon Go Plus

Is Pokémon Go Plus a Practical Peripheral?

Younes

What is Pokémon Go Plus?

Pokémon Go Plus is an app peripheral that can be used as a companion for the Pokémon Go app. The peripheral is paired to a smartphone via Bluetooth LE . Some of Pokémon Go Plus features include:

 

  • You can wear the peripheral as a wristband or as a clip for your tie or lapel.
  • Light and vibration alert whenever a Pokémon is nearby. The peripheral eliminates the need for constantly checking your phone for the presence of a Pokémon.
  • You can throw a Poke Ball with just a press of the button. The peripheral would vibrate to indicate that your attempt was successful.
  • The peripheral will also notify you if there’s a PokeStop nearby. It is also possible to collect items like Poke Balls, berries and Pokémon eggs.

 

There’s a Demand but Is It Really Practical?

As one reviewer in GameStop stated, “The anticipation is unreal!” Even with the $34.99 price tag, it is sold out prior to its September 30 release date. But do the benefits of having this peripheral outweigh its shortcomings? Accept it, even if you’re a die-hard Pokémon fan, you still want to get what’s worth your money, right? Here are several issues that can undermine the need for an app peripheral like Pokémon Go Plus:

 

  1. Except for the purpose of convenience, it doesn’t really offer any new functionality which is the selling point of most standalone peripherals.
  2. And since Bluetooth is used, the paired smartphone should be within the range of the peripheral. Even with the one-time setup, Pokémon Go Plus can’t be truly considered a “standalone” peripheral since it can’t function without the app.
  3. The smartphone and the peripheral would vibrate at the same time whenever a Pokémon is nearby.
  4. You can only catch Pokémon species you already captured.
  5. You can’t control the throw of the Poke Balls. A lot of Pokemon Go users worry that the peripheral is just another way to burn through Poke Balls, facilitating more in-app purchases.
  6. Pokémon Go’s bugs and glitches would affect the peripheral’s performance.
  7. You may need to stake out more money to have one. The peripheral is no longer available for pre-order. A lot of people took advantage of this and started selling guaranteed deliveries ten times the original price. You may have wait longer to have one after all.