# Sphero Mini review

Ping pong ball sized coding robot you drive and program by app

- Our score: not scored yet
- Price: $50 (checked Nov 4, 2026)
- Status: on sale
- Best for: low cost intro to coding
- Skip if: you want long battery life or a rugged toy
- HTML version: https://robotsforthat.com/robot/sphero-mini/

## Verdict

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.

## 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

## 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)
- subscription: None
- age range: Not published in the sources we fetched

## Safety

- recalls: Not checked
- fcc: Not checked
- company status: Active

## 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.

## Sources

1. [TechRadar: Sphero Mini review](https://www.techradar.com/reviews/sphero-mini)
2. [TechCrunch: Sphero Mini](https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/29/sphero-mini/amp/)
3. [Mozilla Privacy Not Included: Sphero Mini and Bolt](https://www.mozillafoundation.org/en/privacynotincluded/sphero-mini-bolt/)