Disclosure: This is not a compensated or sponsored post. I was provided the product for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are my own.
If you are a Star Wars fan I am sure that you have noticed the merchandise that has been showing up on store shelves these past few months. Out of all the toys that have hit the market this season, this is one of the more interesting ones, the BB-8 App-Enabled Droid by Sphero.
If you aren’t familiar with the BB-8, he’s round, white and orange robot seen trucking along in the Star Wars movie. He kind of looks like R2-D2.
Thanks to Sphero’s gyroscopic technology it actually moved around like the robot in the movie. You can order it from the Sphero web site. Here is what comes with your product.
- BB-8 App Enabled Droid
- Induction Charging Base
- Micro USB Cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Legal Guide
The box itself has a very classy design, it’s sleek, black and doesn’t look cheap. You can instantly tell that Sphero takes pride in its products.
Technical Specs include:
- iOS & Android compatible
- Top speed of 4.5 mph
- Durable polycarbonate shell
- Bluetooth Smart BLE connection
- Inductive Charging tower
- Free App: BB-8 App-Enabled Droid powered by Sphero available through iTunes or Google Play
- Internal guidance system includes gyroscope and accelerometer
- Height 11.4 cm
Sphero’s BB-8 is much smaller that the real thing. His body is about the size of an orange. His head sticks on with a magnet and because of the gyroscope inside it stays on top when he moves. I really like that the instructions are extremely simple. You just put him in the cradle, insert the plug and charge him up. When the light on the cradle stops flashing, he’s ready to go.
Controlling BB-8 is done through the free app that can be downloaded to Apple and Android devices. As soon as the app is launched, it will tell you to bring your device near BB-8 and sync-up.
No the BB-8 is ready to roll. BB-8 can be controlled like traditional R/C toys using your phone or iPad. He can also be sent to patrol by himself and assess his environment. You can record and make Star Wars like messages, and even give him voice commands.
I recommend the BB-8 for anyone who loves Star Wars and for the children who love controlling their toys. Keep him away from water.