Review: Sphero BB-8, the Force Is Strong with This One

BB-8 is possibly the coolest droid in town at the moment. And if you’re a Star Wars fan, then that’s just perfect.

Sphero BB-8, the new droid in town. (Photo courtesy: Disney)

You have to say, R2-D2 has had a great run. For the past 38 years, the little astromech droid first seen in Episode IV A New Hope has booped, clicked and beeped his way into the hearts of Star Wars fans around the world. But now, there is a new droid in town, and those of you who have watched the trailers or the early rushes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens know the little rolling-ball-with-a-floating-head as BB-8.

No surprise then that when Sphero announced the app-controlled intelligent BB-8 droid (albeit in a baseball-sized version), Star Wars fans like me jumped at the chance to own a piece of the movie magic. A hundred and forty nine dollars later, here’s our take on the hottest movie toy this holiday season, and quite possibly, the coolest movie tie-in…ever!

Key Specifications: Sphero BB-8 app-enabled droid

• Apps available: iOS & Android compatible
  
• Top Speed: 7.2 kph (7ft/s)
  
• Construction: Durable polycarbonate shell
  
• Bluetooth: Smart Bluetooth Low Energy connection (100 foot range)
  
• Charging: Inductive charging, with over 1 hour of runtime on full charge
  
• Internal guidance system includes a gyroscope and accelerometer.
  
• Dimensions: 11.4 x 7.3 cm / weight ~200 g
  
• Price: $149.99 (~Rs. 10,000)
  

What Is it?

BB-8 looks over a goldfish in a bowl. (Photo courtesy: Disney)

Much like its movie namesake, the BB-8 droid by Sphero can roll around and balance all by itself. Pair it over bluetooth with your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, and BB-8 can independently explore your home, intelligently sensing its environment, much like the Roomba robot vacuum cleaners.

It can be tasked to perform a series of pre-set movements, respond to voice commands and of course, be driven (rolled?) around via your smartphone’s on-screen controls. Charging, for up to an hour’s worth of play, takes about three hours and is via a cool Star Wars-branded inductive charging cradle.

The coolest bit?

The upside-down-bowl-shaped head, that’s held in place using a magnet, mounts itself atop the BB-8 droid as it rolls along!

What’s Good?

BB-8 is a bundle of fun, even if you’re not actively playing with it. In the autonomous Patrol mode, it explores the nooks and crannies of your room to build a basic map. Sure, it will bump into furniture more often than not, but once it does, it will remember the obstacles it has already encountered to avoid them in the future.

But it’s when you take BB-8 out for a spin that the fun really starts. Sure, it takes a little while to master how to orient the droid to move in the direction you want it to, but it’s well worth it when you can get the BB-8 to navigate the room just like a real droid would. The holographic message capabilities are cool too, and a nod to R2-D2’s “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi” original message.

Once you’ve recorded a message using your smartphone’s camera, all you have to do is point the smartphone at the BB-8 and the message will appear to be projected from BB-8’s little head, but only when you’re looking at him through your device’s screen. One of the best implementations of augmented reality I’ve seen in a while!

Above all, Sphero has absolutely nailed the design with the BB-8; even the accompanying app is brilliant. The attention to detail to the droid and its incredibly life-like motion and sound effects is sharp. With the latest update of the app, BB-8 adds in movie-true sound effects identical to the BB-8 in the movie. It practically goes without saying that for any Star Wars fan, this is $150 well spent.

What’s Bad?

Piloting the droid around your house gets insanely addictive, but since it lacks sensors to avoid obstacles, you have to be a wee bit careful. The toy moves really quickly on smooth and hard surfaces. And bumping into furniture will, at best, dislodge the magnetic head (which snaps right back into place). But the droid doesn’t take too kindly to falls, so you would do well to keep your BB-8 away from flights of stairs. And then there is the initial learning curve too. So until you get the hang of driving little BB-8 around, no tabletops either.

And while BB-8’s body is completely sealed, the magnetic head has a pair of wheels which, I assure you, will pick up dust and dirt really quickly off the BB-8 body. So you will have to clean out the wheels every now and then a la the computer mouse of yore!

Why Buy it?

Look, here’s the truth. If you’re a big Star Wars fan, you will undoubtedly love all the little Star Wars touches to the BB-8, and your mind is probably already made up about buying this collectible toy.

And why not?

Sphero’s BB-8 does a spectacular job of imitating the actions and the personality of the on-screen BB-8. Not just that, it makes for a perfect gift for Star Wars fans of all ages. Sure, you actually get more features for less money with the original Sphero, but the Force is stronger with this one!