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The power of Pokemon Go – or more accurately the way it can drain it – has been further emphasised by figures which suggest the sale of battery power packs have doubled since the game launched.
Turns out my mom is an avid player of Pokemon Go & is bringing her external battery pack for today's ferry ride to catch water Pokemon
— Elizabeth Lopatto (@mslopatto) August 6, 2016
According to new figures from marketing firm NPD, its retail tracking service clocked growth of 101% for portable power packs in the first two weeks after the launch of Pokemon Go in the US when compared to the same period in 2015.
Pokemon Go uses GPS location data as well as augmented reality when being played, and as a result is a substantial drain on smartphone power when in use.
According to the figures, just under 1.2 million packs were sold in that time, as users look to extend their play time.
The game, where users hunt down and attempt to catch virtual Pokemon characters, has already been downloaded more than 100 million times, but has also been linked to a range of injuries and crimes with reports of users falling off cliffs and being victims of robbery while playing the mobile game.
NPD’s Ben Arnold said: “Pokemon Go is the summer’s hottest game partly because it utilises features like location, motion sensors and augmented reality in your smartphone – however these features consume more of the phone’s battery life.”
