Sphero became known for sa great droid BB-8 that perfectly reproduced all the movements of the famous Star Wars robot. Before that robot had already launched the original Sphero, a sphere with remote control, and now has just expanded the family with new droids of the Star Wars saga as we already discussed in this article.
But he doesn't just want to fall in love with these expensive toys, because with his Sphero Mini he wants his fantastic robots to be available to everyone. A small wait in which you will find all the company's technology compressed, and that with the company of the application for your iPhone you can spend fun times. We have tried it and we show you everything you can do in images and video.
Design
Sphero Mini is a small plastic sphere that remembers a lot inside the surprise eggs. Opening like the famous eggs we will find inside the heart of this little robot whose appearance and size deceive. Sensors, motors and LED lights make up this toy for children and adults in a size that allows you to carry it in your pocket Without you noticing.
In the inner part we will find the microUSB charging connector. The technology surrounding this sphere is very simple: a counterweight keeps the inner part fixed while the wheels make the outer sphere roll and the Sphero Mini moves according to our instructions, which we do thanks to the Sphero Mini application that we can download from the App Store (link) The interior LED lights are responsible for giving greater visual impact to the movement of the small sphere.
Control, play and schedule
What can you do with this little toy? Well, many things, more than you could imagine. The obvious: make it roll at a more than decent speed on the floor of your house or patio by controlling it using your smarptphone. If you have an animal at home, you're going to have a lot of fun watching your dog or cat chase you around the room. The response of the Sphero Mini is very fast, and as we say it has a speed more than adequate to make your pet dizzy for a while. The conventional control of the Sphero by means of a virtual joystick on screen is more than correct to handle it without problems and its reach of up to 1 meters is more than enough.
But we also have other forms of control that are perfect for playing with the accessories that Sphero Mini brings us: bowling and cones. A “slingshot”, a control by tilting the device and a control by gestures with the face will serve to expand the possibilities of play. Personally I keep the conventional joystick and slingshot bowling, but the other two controls are curious. In addition to controlling the ball we can use it as a control controller for the games that the iPhone app brings. Sphero Mini then becomes a control for a spaceship in a classic matamarcianos, or the control command of a racing game or the typical "brick breaker".
Last but not least, we can use Sphero to get started in the world of programming. The Sphero Edu application (iTunes) will allow you very easily create programs by combining different instruction blocks. By dragging and fitting different blocks of instructions as if they were pieces of a puzzle you will create a program that your Sphero Mini will play meticulously. Movement, color changes .. there are many options you can use. There are also activities in which you can participate in the Sphero user community.
Autonomy limited to 45 minutes
What does not fit in such a small device is a large battery, it is obvious. Sphero Mini has a range of up to 45 minutes according to official data, that in my use I can confirm that they are fulfilled without problems. The robot warns you that it is running out of battery because its LED illuminates in red, indicating that you should charge it. During charging, the LED is blue, and when fully charged it is green. Charging time is approximately one hour.
Something I do not like about Sphero Mini is that it is the battery in standby mode it lasts just one day. If you stop using it with the full charge today, you won't be able to use it tomorrow without charging it again. That is, in practice almost whenever you want to use it you will have to recharge it for an hour to make it work properly. Sphero Mini enters standby mode automatically when you close the app on your mobile. This could be solved by turning off the Sphero, but there is no such button on the device, so you will have to enter the advanced options of the application to do so. In that case the battery does last longer charged until you use it again, but to turn it on you will have to plug it into a charger again to reactivate.
Editor's Opinion
- Editor rating
- 4.5 star rating
- Exceptional
€ 58
- Sphero Mini
- Review of: Luis Padilla
-
Posted on:
-
Last modification:
Sphero Mini is an ideal toy for children and adults that offers many game possibilities. Its speed, its rapid response to controls from the smartphone, the colors of its LEDs and the accessories included in the box They make it an excellent gift for any technology lover. With an Amazon price of about € 58 it is difficult not to recommend it to anyone looking to get started in this world.
Pros
- Controls with good response
- LED lights that change color
- Ideal size to take anywhere
- Up to 45 minutes of autonomy
Cons
- Standby mode that consumes the battery in one day
- He misses an off button
The best accessories for your iPhone
Are you looking for a new case for your iPhone? An accessory for the Apple Watch? Maybe a Bluetooth speaker? Do not miss these offers on accessories and get the most out of Apple's mobile:
