Sphero Mini – drive a ball with your face

Sphero has done really well with its robotic balls. It also has had tie-ins with Star Wars, Marvel and Pixar. Now, there’s a new little Sphero, the Mini.

The Sphero Mini is basically a shrunken down version of the Sphero 2.0. The new globe weighs just 46 grams and measures 44mm – the same as a standard ping-pong ball.

The Mini has most of its larger sibling’s features too. You can use a smartphone app to drive it around, use it as a controller for Sphero smartphone games and even program it using the Sphero Edu app.

However, some sacrifices have had to be made. The Sphero Mini is said to be slightly less durable than its larger sibling and has also lost its water resistance. Wireless charging has also been binned for the Mini.

Face Drive

The Mini does pack new skills though.

The new Face Drive feature enables you to guide the toy using facial expressions.

Sphero Mini scans your face and then interprets your scowls, smiles and such as directions.

Additionally, there’s also tech inside that allows a Mini to detect when it’s close to another Mini. However, there are no features currently that take advantage of this.

Play time

To fully charge the Sphero Mini you use the Micro USB cable. As I said earlier, no wireless charging here.

A full charge takes around an hour and hands you 45 mins of play time.

Price and availability

The Sphero Mini is available now for £49.99 from Amazon.

Mini bowling pins and cones are included, and if you want to mix up your Mini’s look, you can also buy shells of different colours.