Star Wars BB-9E App-Enabled Droid

Product Description

Product Description

BB-9E is a menacing astromech droid of the First Order. Control it with your smart device and keep it rolling optimally with the augmented reality Droid Trainer. Watch BB-9E interact with other Star Wars App-enabled Droids by Sphero, and view films from the Star Wars saga with BB-9E by your side. This is NOT the droid you’re looking for… it’s the droid that’s looking for you.

Features

• Authentic movement - whether you’re driving or on Patrol, bb-9e rolls just like on-screen.
• Holographic simulation - explore the star Wars galaxy with the app and the Droid trainer.
• Code BB-9E - Download the Sphero Edu app and use character-specific commands to program BB-9E and complete STEM activities.
• Watch With Me - View films from the Star Wars saga with BB-9E by your side.
• Signature LEDs - BB-9E’s dome is equipped with vibrant LED lights.

Top Reviews

The Dark Side Gets Its Droid Right
by FreeRange (5 out of 5 stars)
September 16, 2017

This is my third Orbotix remote control something and my first of their branded Disney products. I've got a Sphero and an Ollie. Somehow I've avoided the branded stuff to this point and I do not know how or why because I love Sphero and Ollie. So here are thoughts in a bit of detail because this isn't exactly inexpensive but it's totally awesome...

The Dark Side (The Good!)
-The unboxing experience is really impressive. I don't know what I was expecting but the sleeve cover over the clean, minimal box opening up to the droid was solid. Quite the introduction to BB-9E.
-The little antennas on its head are a hard rubber. When I got it open and saw BB-9E my first thought when the sense of being impressed was over was that the little antennas would break off in no time. I thought they'd be plastic. They're a hard rubber. Flexible and resilient. I don't know why I had this sense of disappointment when I thought I'd break them off but when I discovered I wouldn't I was probably happier than i should have been. But that's how one of the longest bullets in my review gets written.
-It's small but heavy! I remember being a kid and buying something I thought was expensive and then handling it and feeling how "cheap" it really is but not this. It feels like a little weight in your hand. I'm not sure if they actually added weight for some purpose but I appreciate it.
-The lights in the head. "Head" is probably the wrong word but you know what I mean. BB-9E has little lights in it's head that area really pretty darned bright. My wife and I put him in our hallway with all of the lights off and it was just "looking around" and you could see the lights going everywhere and illuminating the walls. It was impossible not to believe it was actually looking around and "blinking" when the lights would turn off for half a second. Very fun. Feels like it really has a personality. And, best of all, the lights are powered with inductive power so there's no batteries or anything in the head to deal with. The whole thing charges on its base through inductive charging, same as their Sphero. Best use of the technology I've encountered.
-The app. From the little animation when you load it up to the music and connecting with the droid it's great. Super solid in all regards. I've had zero issues connecting. Probably one of the best experiences with an app that I've ever had and that even goes for previous Sphero products which were not bad at all. I haven't watched a movie with this yet but I'm looking forward to it. My hope is it cheers really loud every time the Empire is on screen. (Go team Dark Side!)

The Light Side (The Bad)
-We have laminate flooring that's a little on the slick side for this guy. If I drive him a little slower it's fine but there's that. We have rugs that he does a whole lot better on but if yours is a house of non-stop laminate flooring without some degree of texture, be aware, I guess. Super small thing.

The Palpatine (The Ugly)
-My son is literally terrified of BB-9E. He's 2.5 years old and he was totally fine with BB-9E until it started rolling around. Then he screamed, cried, and ran to me or his mother. The lights probably don't help. Now he doesn't trust the thing at all and when we saw the display of these toys at a store in the mall he actually hid behind my wife. I tried to show him BB-8 thinking maybe the lighter version would be better but he wouldn't take his eyes off of BB-9E. So it's official... my son's part of the rebel alliance. And that's hard for me because the Empire did nothing wrong.
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I've named it Ichabod since it keeps losing its head
by Dr. Checkmate (5 out of 5 stars)
September 6, 2017

I love this thing. Patrol mode would be more interesting if it had a longer memory. But, it really shines as just a remote control toy. I contacted the SPRK edu folks and I'm assured I'll be able to program my droid next month (I'm typing this in September 2017). On occasion I've gotten it stuck somewhere, switched it to patrol, and it's gotten itself unstuck when I couldn't, so that's cool. Aside from the some what bumbling patrol mode, my only complaint is the magnetic head tends to come off in collisions. I adjusted the speed down, but I still have had to hunt down the head under furniture a couple times. So, when I set it to patrol, I usually just take the head off. I work the overnight at a hotel, and I can't tell you how tempting it is to bring it in and set it loose in the lobby some quiet night.

One thing that some what baffles me though, is why they chose to make the body smaller than the standard Sphero. Near as I can tell it seems like a some what arbitrary choice. It would be nice if I could use all the available Sphero accessories with my BB-9E while I defend the First Order.

And, just so we're clear, I meant to give it 5 stars. I know I've got some criticism here, but this is a truly great little bluetooth RC toy. I look forward to playing with it after work like a pet, and I don't have to take it for walks, feed it, or clean up after it!
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BB-9E is AWESOME!!
by Cowboy West (5 out of 5 stars)
October 22, 2017

I'm a nine year old. I think it's SO cool that it lights up and rolls easy. The app is SO much better and easier than our original app for bb-8. It can go REALLY fast and it can roll on carpet. The other BB-8 did not light up and this one does! It's pretty cool. The sound comes from the iPad or phone. On the new app it has this adventure on it where you can see around the ship and find holograms and see how they look. I think that was pretty cool and a lot of fun!
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The Droid that was looking for me?
by Arcturus70 (5 out of 5 stars)
August 24, 2018

Well, I've been eyeing Sphero products for a while, but they were just outside my price range for purchases of such items. When Amazon displayed the current deals on these little guys, I jumped at the chance to grab one. Why did I select BB-9E before buying BB-8? Two reasons. First, he just looks so sleek and cool. Second, a reviewer said he was cute, but grumpy-compared to BB-8, and I was intrigued. The sales pitch "This is not the droid you're looking for-it's the droid that's looking for you!" also had me from hello. Upon his arrival, unboxing, and first patrol in my house, I can confirm BB-9E has his own little attitude. He feels sturdy, and initial bumps into walls or future did not create any scratches, dings, or dents on him. He did lose his head once on one of the harder knocks, but it went back on with no problem. I confess that I was doing the driving on that turn and on my slick kitchen floor. I've never owned a ball shaped robot, which means I had a little learning curve there.

I've tried BB-9E on carpet. He doesn't go as fast and has a tendency to get stuck sometimes, requiring human help. He really tries to go though. Flings his head back like he's putting every effort into it. It's funny to watch. It's relatable because that is how I look trying to do Algebra! And irritated bleeps would be needed there too. :)

Like other reviewers, I wish that sounds would come directly from the droid itself rather than the app, but I'm still impressed with this product. Regarding the app, I had no trouble at all with the download or use. I am using a newer phone, iPhone X. I can't say how this setup would work on older phones / older operating systems. My advice would be to check compatibility before buying any droid, especially if this is intended for a gift.

The inductive charging base is a nice feature in design and function. It has a reset button on one side. I didn't notice that until I watched a video about the product.

Overall, I'm satisfied with my BB-9E. It's a fun device and conversation piece.
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Beautifully Crafted Droids
by Chas (5 out of 5 stars)
February 17, 2018

I like these droids. I look at them as colllectabe items. I enjoy running the droids but to keep them in perfect condition I run them in the trainer. I would assume that some day the internal battery will stop functioning but I don't care. I am keeping all the packaging intact and hope some day they might be a collectible item. The first BB-9E I received would not charge properly. The unit functioned but I could leave it on the charger all night and it would still be flashing in the morning. The ball also got very warm. Amazon replaced it and this unit is perfect. All the Sphero Droids are beautiful. I have BB-8, BB-9E, R2 D2 and R2 Q5. They are all crafted beautifully. The R2 units are easier to play with but with the trainer the BB units are fun too. They are definitely quality crafted. As to whether they will be a collectors item someday I don't know because they are electronic items and all electronic items usually give out. But they sure look like a collectible item. Playing with the B.B. units outside of the trainer will subject them to bumps and scratches. But if you just want them for fun there is no problem.
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Amazing programmable device, sadly discontinued
by James Johnson (3 out of 5 stars)
March 12, 2019

Like the other Sphero Star Wars devices, R2D2, BB-8 et al, this item is superb. Like the others, it interfaces with the motion detection Force Band, is programmable on three levels, and works neatly with the Sphero Edu site. It deserves 5 stars. Sadly, Sphero has decided to stop manufacturing cross marketed items, and has promised support for the items and, more importantly, the accompanying device apps that actually control them, only until the end of 2020. This includes, it might be assumed, any kind of Edu support. One hopes that independent aficionados will begin releasing their own apps and support...Sphero offers Android interface documentation on their Edu site for their in house items, which may offer an inroad to independent developers. So, yes, its the absolute best of what's out there, but manufacturer support has an end date. On the upside, these amazing devices now have a limited, albeit still seemingly huge, availability. Buyers thinking long term, including independent developers, may want to pick up several of each while they're still available from the existing inventories of the several sellers on amazon.
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Stopped charging after a month
by Roji Eappen (1 out of 5 stars)
October 20, 2018

It was really fun while it lasted, which sadly wasn't too long. The red charging light always blinks even after charging overnight, and the droid doesn't respond to the app anymore.
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Super cool droid
by Sonya (5 out of 5 stars)
July 10, 2018

This has to be one of the coolest toys around. I bought this for my 10 yr olds birthday. At first I thought it's kind of like a remote control car until it fell in the heater duct. (My son removed the cover) my son was devastated that his new droid is stuck. So my husband got his phone and they turned on BB9E and literally drove him up the wall of the heater duct. The droid works great. It's been inside and outside the house and enjoying watching starwars movies with us.
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Come to the Dark Side
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
July 20, 2019

Or - reprogram him to come to the light.

Great addition to the set. Works great with the forceband I got with my BB8 as well.

You can get all 4 of them on the phone at once to watch the movies. Haven't tried to control more than one but doubt if you can. The Droid Trainer is actually a nice item to have to set him on when you just want him to act silly while you work though I think you can get the force band as a separate item and it wasn't too expensive if I remember. Can't get the trainer pad separately.

The R2 units definitely have larger batteries. The BB units made it through 1.5 movies before flashing red in movie mode. The R2 units went through 3 movies and were ready for more.
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Worth the price
by Elizabeth Carroll (5 out of 5 stars)
January 10, 2018

Number 1 thing on my son's Christmas list. It didn't take long to charge, and once you get the hang of conrolling it, it's a blast. Sturdy too, my son dropped it several times on Christmas morning, without any damage. My family now wants the others so we can have them interact with each other. The only thing we had problems with was syncing it to the movies, but it was Christmas morning, which may have accounted for app lags. We had the same problem last year with a Furby.

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