As a heavy Go Plus user, I've been thinking a lot about the Explorer Gadget, which was finally announced by Scopely Explore earlier this month following a quiet, steady rollout.
I've been thinking about it more than using it because, well, it doesn't work great most of the time. Part of that is habit, in fairness: it operates quite differently to a physical Go Plus, chiefly in the way it doesn't operate while the game is running, or while sitting still - but also because it is a bit finicky, even when you're playing in recommended conditions.
The feature is still in a "phased rollout", mind, and as a free addition to the game, I'm happy to cut it some slack - especially as I believe having Go Plus-style features will be a huge boon to players who haven't used them before.
But it can still be improved in some pretty fundamental ways - including some of the specifics I've just mentioned - which will not only see it move closer to the ideal Go Plus experience that many (including me) have been enjoying for close to a decade, but also see it complement Pokémon Go players who use these devices regularly as well.
Below is what I think would be the most transformative changes - and, for a bit of balance, I'll detail a few things I already appreciate about it, too. If the Explorer Gadget is completely new to you, by the way, then here's everything you need to know about how it works before we get started:
Matthew Reynolds