The Pokémon Go community was very disturbed over the weekend after 9to5 Mac claimed that Niantic had indefinitely suspended development of the Apple Watch version of the game.
Even before this news began to run rampant, Niantic attempted to contain it by tweeting, “Pokémon Go for Apple Watch is coming soon.”
But this was not the end of the drama.
Why could Niantic ditch Apple?
Though Niantic confirmed the Apple Watch version, it did not confirm its original claim that the app would be ready for use before the end of 2016. There is no doubt that Niantic made that tweet in direct response to 9to5 Mac’s report, and this is the reason the Apple-centric blog deciding to take it a step further on Monday.
On Monday in another article, 9to5 Mac gave an in-depth explanation of what could have caused Niantic to delay the app or even cancel it. It must be noted that the developer partnered with Apple to announce it at the iPhone 7 media event in San Francisco earlier this year.
9to5 Mac’s sources claim that Niantic is developing its own wearable device. The report says that Niantic has teamed up with the company behind the Nex Band to develop its wearable. Of course its purpose will be to interact with the company’s games.
In simple words, the band will be capable of doing everything that an Apple Watch app does for one of Niantic’s apps, notes BGR. Pokémon Go players have demonstrated an insatiable appetite for the Pokémon Go Plus wearable. Keeping this in mind, it makes sense for Niantic to continue with the development.
What will Niantic’s Pokémon Go band be capable of?
According to 9to5 Mac, Niantic will announce the product next month. The website even published what it says is an image of the band. It appears very similar to the Nex Band Evolution device. Preorders for it began through a crowd-funding campaign earlier this year. The campaign disappeared, but now it seems as if it is resurfacing through a licensing deal with Niantic.
Earlier products from Nex Band had a lot more and superior functionalities than the Pokémon Go Plus wearable. The band will reportedly feature “five touch sensitive displays with multi-color LEDs to offer customized notifications and icons, up to 4 day battery life, and fitness tracking features.” But Niantic’s release of its own wearable does not surely mean that the Apple Watch version is not coming.
“In fact, with the latest Tweet, Niantic is now on the hook to deliver,” says 9to5 Mac.
The main is question is when.
