- Type
- Small app controlled
- Interaction
- Phone or tablet app
- Subscription
- None
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Sphero Mini
Ping pong ball sized coding robot you drive and program by app
Researched by Riley Hart · updated Oct 30, 2026
Is the Sphero Mini worth it? Sphero Mini is a cheap, tiny entry into app driven robots, with fun driving modes and real block and JavaScript coding in Sphero Edu. It costs $50 as of Nov 4, 2026, and 2 independent reviewers tested it.
Sphero Mini is a cheap, tiny entry into app driven robots, with fun driving modes and real block and JavaScript coding in Sphero Edu. It suits kids and adults who want a pocket toy that doubles as a coding tool. Skip it if you want long play sessions or a rugged robot, since it runs about 45 minutes, drains while idle and is not waterproof.
Best for: low cost intro to coding. Skip if: you want long battery life or a rugged toy.
Specs
- Type
- Small app controlled robot ball with colored LED and swappable colored shells
- Interaction
- Phone or tablet app with Joystick, Tilt, Slingshot and Face Drive modes, games, and block coding or JavaScript in the Sphero Edu app
- Ai features
- None (Mozilla Privacy Not Included); Face Drive reads your expressions through the phone's camera
- Camera
- No camera, microphone or location tracking on the robot; the app can use the phone's camera, mic and location (Mozilla)
- Mobility
- Rolls inside its shell; motor encoders, gyroscope and accelerometer (Mozilla); not waterproof (TechCrunch)
- Battery runtime
- About 45 minutes; TechRadar measured a little under 45 minutes and found it lost most of its charge overnight when idle
- Charge time
- Just over an hour by Micro USB (TechRadar)
- Size weight
- 42 mm, 46 g (TechCrunch)
3 year cost of ownership
- Robot
- $50
- Total
- $50
No subscription. Extra colored shells are sold separately. No battery replacement option is published, so a 3 year cost is not computable.
Status and safety
- US availability
- ● On sale
- Recalls
- ● No Sphero robot recall in the CPSC database as of Nov 4, 2026. Checked daily.
- FCC authorized
- Not checked
- Company
- ● Active
- Warranty
- Not listed
Price history
Tracked dailyWhere to buy
- Amazon
- See price →
- Sphero store
- $50 →
Affiliate links. We may earn a commission. It never changes our score. Disclosure
Pros
- Tiny and cheap at launch
- Block coding and JavaScript in Sphero Edu
- Several fun driving modes
- No camera or microphone on the robot
Cons
- About 45 minutes per charge
- Loses charge while sitting idle
- Not waterproof
- Small plastic shell is easy to lose or break
What independent reviewers found
- Called it a brilliant toy and highly recommended it, but play time ran a little under 45 minutes after just over an hour of charging, and a full battery could be almost empty the next day without use.
- TechRadar
- Hands on at launch: 42 mm and 46 g at $49.99, about half the price of Sphero 2.0, but drops waterproofing and wireless charging and is less durable; Face Drive was both fun and unnerving.
- TechCrunch
Spec history
Checked dailyNo spec changes since we started tracking on Nov 2, 2026.
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Questions buyers ask
Does Sphero Mini have a camera?
No. Mozilla says the robot has no camera or microphone; the app can use your phone's camera for Face Drive.
How long does the battery last?
About 45 minutes. TechRadar measured a little under that after about an hour of charging.
Can kids code it?
Yes. The free Sphero Edu app supports block coding and JavaScript.
Guides and rankings with the Sphero Mini
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