Sphero BB-8 Droid to get Windows Phone support

Even before the release of the next Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie, the Sphero BB-8 toy is predicted to be the hottest toy this holiday season.

The robot, made by Sphero and which is going on sale today, is controlled by your smartphone. Sphero already have a Windows Phone app, but unfortunately the BB-8 will require its own special version.

The BB-8 for example supports voice commands, an augmented reality hologram projection mode which can be shared with friends, and other skills not in the usual toy.

Fortunately an app is on the way, with Sphero saying on twitter:

@OrionListug We are working on a Windows phone App! Timeline TBD.

— Sphero (@Sphero) September 3, 2015

Unfortunately its not known when the app will arrive, but hopefully it will be before the movie debuts and not after, when I suspect the $149/£129 device will be rather hard to come by.

The BB-8 is 10 cm tall, charges via induction, learns its environment by bump mapping and will run for an hour between charges, with a range of 30 m (bluetooth control) and speed of up to 5 miles per hour.

Voice commands include responding to “it’s a trap” by running away and the toy will try and get your attention by flashing lights and shaking its head.

The BB-8 will be available direct from Disney and from major stores such as Firebox, PC World, Harrods and Amazon.

See a video of the toy in action below.