‘Pokemon Go’ is available for iOS and Android devices. (Niantic)
A new update has just been released for Pokemon Go. What did Niantic change this time around?
First and foremost, this update has fixed a major bug where the game would vibrate even when there were no Pokemon in the area. This glitch has been going around for a few weeks now, and Niantic actually tweeted about it on December 10th, but this update evidently fixes the bug at last.
We are aware of and actively working on a fix for a bug that causes incorrect vibration notifications related to the Nearby Pokémon feature.
The patch notes for the new update also mention that there is a change to day and night mode, with Niantic writing that these modes “have changed to more accurately reflect the Trainer’s current time of day.”
That’s about all, or at least that’s all that there is on the surface. With every Pokemon Go update, there are always some changes made behind-the-scenes that are not publicly announced but that players discover by sifting through the code. For example, shortly before the launch of buddy Pokemon, and more recently before the launch of baby Pokemon, hardcore fans picked apart some seemingly insignificant updates to find clues about new features.
The Silph Road has already done that with today’s update, and they made some interesting discoveries. For one, code related to the Apple Watch actually appears in this update, which suggests that Niantic is close to finally releasing Pokemon Go for Apple’s wearable device. This was announced back in September, but there has been little said of the app since, although Niantic did confirm last week that it’s still on the way.
Plus, there is some code in the new update related to avatar customization, specifically the ability to change gloves and socks. Similar code has appeared in recent updates, and so it seems that Niantic is coming close to putting out a full avatar customization mode. Finally, there is code related to Pokemon genders and code related to shiny Pokemon.
There isn’t all that much to suggest that a Christmas event is on its way, although the following images of gift boxes are in there:
It’s unclear if this is something that players would purchase or if it’s even necessarily related to Christmas. Niantic held special Pokemon Go events for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and both times, an announcement was made the Wednesday before the holiday. We’re one day away from the Wednesday before Christmas, but so far, there hasn’t been a word from Niantic.
Of course, there sort of already is a Christmas event going on in that special Santa-hat-wearing Pikachu are now on the loose, and these Pikachu will only be available from now until December 29th. But for both Halloween and Thanksgiving, players were able to get helpful bonuses like double XP and double Stardust, so a lot of fans have been skeptical that simply receiving a hat is going to be the extent Niantic’s Christmas gift this year.
Here are the full patch notes of the update released from Niantic:
Trainers,
Pokémon GO is in the process of being updated to version 0.51.0 for Android and 1.21.0 for iOS devices. Below are some release notes and comments from our development team.
– The bug that caused incorrect vibration notifications has been fixed.
– Day and night modes have changed to more accurately reflect the Trainer’s current time of day.
– Minor text fixes.—The Pokémon GO team
Read more about Pokemon Go in Spanish at AhoraMismo.com:
