1. Holiday event
The holiday event has begun in Pokémon GO!
Twenty new Water-types / Ice-types have been introduced! Delibird, Snorunt, Glalie, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein, Barboach, Whiscash, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Luvdisc, Relicanth, Carvanha, Sharpedo, Feebas, Milotic, Wailmer, and Wailord are now all available!
The event also features two sets of sale boxes, Santa-hat Pikachu, single-use Incubators and six-hour Lure Modules. It would also seem that an unannounced feature of the event is also active: increased spawn-rates of Generation 3 Pokémon.
Twenty new Water-types / Ice-types have been introduced! Delibird, Snorunt, Glalie, Spheal, Sealeo, Walrein, Barboach, Whiscash, Corphish, Crawdaunt, Lotad, Lombre, Ludicolo, Luvdisc, Relicanth, Carvanha, Sharpedo, Feebas, Milotic, Wailmer, and Wailord are now all available!
The event also features two sets of sale boxes, Santa-hat Pikachu, single-use Incubators and six-hour Lure Modules. It would also seem that an unannounced feature of the event is also active: increased spawn-rates of Generation 3 Pokémon.
2. AR Plus
The AR mode has been updated! AR+ allows Trainers to interact with wild Pokémon more realistically. After scanning a flat surface, grass will pop up. Tapping the grass will flush out the wild Pokémon. Trainers can then sneak up to the Pokémon to earn an Expert Handler bonus, but be careful! If you approach the Pokémon too quickly, it will flee.
The feature uses Apple's ARKit technology. This means that you need a device no older than an iPhone 6s that runs iOS 11. Apple helped Niantic develop this technology in a partnership, which is why it's not available on Android devices.
Speaking of partnerships, Niantic's partnership with Sprint has a December deal. Switching to Sprint will award you a free set of 14,500 PokéCoins. Niantic seems to really be pushing this hard, as a TV advertisement for this deal aired in our area.
The feature uses Apple's ARKit technology. This means that you need a device no older than an iPhone 6s that runs iOS 11. Apple helped Niantic develop this technology in a partnership, which is why it's not available on Android devices.
Speaking of partnerships, Niantic's partnership with Sprint has a December deal. Switching to Sprint will award you a free set of 14,500 PokéCoins. Niantic seems to really be pushing this hard, as a TV advertisement for this deal aired in our area.
3. Ho-Oh in korea
Ho-Oh has returned! That is, only to Korea. To celebrate the twentieth Pokémon movie, Ho-Oh Raids have returned to South Korea for the remainder of December.
4. New PokeStops and Gyms
Niantic announced on Twitter this week that their other game's mission, Ingress' Operation Portal Recon, has produced great results and created many new portals. These portals will and have transferred over to Pokémon GO in the form of PokéStops and Gyms.
5. Pokemon movie marathon
The Pokémon Company announced this week that Disney XD will be airing a monthlong marathon of Pokémon movies in January. From the first movie featuring Mewtwo and Mew to the latest featuring Ho-Oh, the Legendary Beasts, and Marshadow, we'll be able to relive all of these films.