Niantic to End Pokemon GO Support to Older Apple Devices

For all iOS users out there, Niantic has bad news for all of you. Basically, an upcoming Pokemon GO update will end all support for older Apple devices. This is expected to arrive on February 28.

According to Daily Express, the older devices include iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, 3rd and 4th generation iPads, 1st generation iPad Mini, and iPad 2. Niantic explained that the update was a result of improvements made to Pokemon GO. It pushed the game “beyond the capabilities” of each operating system on the said devices.

In an official statement, the studio announced:

In an upcoming update to Pokemon GO, we will end support for Apple devices not capable of upgrading to iOS 11, such as iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c models.

The update is expected to arrive on February 28. After that date, trainers who still use the affected Apple devices will no longer be able to access their respective accounts – at least from that old devices. They cannot also use their Bags and PokeCoins.

Although Niantic did not specify what exactly the reason was, many believe it had something to do with AR features in Pokemon GO. These features are only made available for devices running iOS 11. This covers the iPhone 6S and newer devices.

The new update will reportedly place all Pokemon in a more accurate position, though it will still be based on their surroundings. Also, their size will either decrease or increase according to how close a player is to the Pokemon.

Interestingly, Niantic added a bunch of ways for players to capture creatures in Pokemon GO. The AR+ mode adds the so-called “dynamic gameplay” to each in-game encounter, providing fans “more ways to catch Pokemon.”

There are also a couple of benefits to using the AR+ mode in Pokemon GO. One is the possibility of acquiring the new Expert Handler bonus, which provides players with more XP and Stardust.