Review: Sphero 2.0
Today I am reviewing something different. I’m reviewing a robotic ball called the Sphero 2.0 which was supplied to me by Best Buy. Here’s what you get in the box:
In the box are neatly packed ramps for performing jumps, a user manual and inductive charging base which isn’t shown here. Just put Sphero 2.0 into the rounded charging base, watch it quickly spin itself around to properly align itself and light up to signify charging is underway. It’s kind of cool to watch actually.
When Sphero 2.0 is blue, it is fully charged. Just pop it out of the charger and then double tap on its surface with your fingers to wake it. You then download the Sphero app onto your iOS or Android device and use Bluetooth to pair your phone to Sphero 2.0. That’s when the fun begins. The app talks you through the controls for the device via a virtual joy-pad which controls direction and speed, and it has a separate speed setting to limit or increase the overall device speed. Now how easy is it to control? On my wooden floors. I really had to slow it down to have any level of control. I also crashed into lots of things. But it seems to be able take a fair amount of abuse. Once you get the hang of it, you can graduate to completing missions to give Sphero 2.0 new abilities. The missions will challenge your fine motor skills as well as your problem solving abilities. That’s going to be cool and challenging for kids and quite a few adults too. If you want to try something different, there are a number of custom-made games on the App Store of your choice to give you new challenges. I have to admit, it was really engaging.
Gripes? Only one. During my testing I found that the battery inside the Sphero 2.0 only lasts about an hour. That does cut into the fun. But it was better than the remote control cars that I played with as a kid in the 1970’s. There. I’ve just dated myself.
Best Buy has the Sphero 2.0 available for $150 which some will think is a bit steep. But it will provide hours of gameplay which makes it totally worth it in my opinion. Check it out if you want a challenge of a different sort.
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