Sphero BB-8 Star Wars Robot is Already a Hot Holiday Toy

The hot holiday toy lists are not out yet but we already know what this year's hottest toy will be. It is the new Star Wars Sphero BB-8 toy. The robot has captured the hearts and imaginations of Star Wars fans ever since it was first glimpsed in the short teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The robotic toy version is just as cute as the robot in the upcoming film.

The BB-8 robotic toy by Sphero is controlled using an app. It moves using gyroscopic propulsion. It has a 60 minute battery life and a range of 30 meters. The little robot can be used to record, send and view videos. It recognizes your voice and has an adaptive personality.

Sphero says, "Based on your interactions, BB-8 will show a range of expressions and even perk up when you give voice commands. Set it to patrol and watch your Droid explore autonomously, make up your own adventure and guide BB-8 yourself, or create and view holographic recordings."

The toy was officially released at midnight today for Force Friday. The retail price, $149.99, is a high price for a toy but in this case the high price is not likely to curb sales due to strong demand from Star Wars fans. The BB-8 toy is one of many products that will be released this holiday to tie-in with the film. It is likely to be the most coveted of all the Star Wars toys released this year.

Sphero has a list of retail partners for the robot. They include Apple, Best Buy, Brookstone, Discovery, ThinkGeek and many others but some online retailers are already starting to show out of stock listings for the item. It is currently available directly from the Sphero store but the hot toy may quickly become a hard-to-find item and the holiday shopping season has not even started. It has already sold today at retailers including Amazon and the Disney Store.

Update: The Sphero BB-8 is now on the Sphero Legacy Products page. The BB-8 is still available for purchase at shopDisney.

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