$150 BB-8 Droid vs $80 Hasbro BB-8 Toy — The Cheap One Is Way Bigger

First let’s say the word toy is untrustworthy. Sure, around the holidays toy reverts back to meaning stuff for kids. But most of the year adults purchase all sorts of items for themselves that — with guilty pleasure — they call their toys. The new BB-8 droid by Sphero is sure to be one of them. The breakout star of Star Wars Episode VII comes in a few different version for your at-home pleasure. The Sphero version (really the adult version) at $150 is controllable by an app on your phone. The BB-8 by Sphero follows voice commands and even learns as it goes — but it’s still categorized at Amazon under Toys & Games>Electronics for Kids > RC Figures & Robots. There’s little doubt that this will be a favorite adult toy this holiday season, especially at the $150 price tag.

[Sphero BB-8 App-Enabled Droid at Amazon]

For kid kids, Hasbro brings to market a simpler version, also conveniently called the BB-8 Droid toy. It’s not app-enabled — it has its own remote control. The BB-8 by Sphero is more like a drone, with its control, intelligence and range. BB-8 by Sphero is slicker — but it’s much smaller (under 5 inches tall). Instinctively smaller kids seem drawn to the big Hasbro BB-8. (It’s 9 inches tall.) It’s half the price and less sophisticated, but it’s fun and visually more distinctive. Plus it makes way more noise.