Sphero: The Robotic Ball Controlled By an iPhone - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Sphero: The Robotic Ball Controlled By an iPhone

by

Sphero1In the same "fun, but impractical" vein as the AR.Drone quadricopter, the Sphero is a robotic ball remotely controlled by an app on the iPhone.

Approximately the size of a baseball, the Sphero connects to the iPhone via Bluetooth and recharges via an induction-charging stand. Orbotix, the company behind Sphero, has written a number of iPhone apps and games to use with the ball, including Sphero golf and a KittyCam app that let's users share the Sphero experience with their feline friends -- and capture the whole thing with the iPhone's video camera:


The Sphero will be available later this year for $129.99. It's currently available for pre-order from GoSphero.com.


Hat tip to Business Insider.

Top Rated Comments

Hastings101 Avatar
195 months ago
I'm going to have to buy a cat just so I can try that..
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
boshii Avatar
195 months ago
Pretty cool until the novelty wears off and you're left asking yourself "I paid $130 for this?"
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
195 months ago
My cat would love this.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shrink Avatar
195 months ago
Cool. Kinda pricey. Under $60 maybe but $130 wow. My dog would go nuts chasing this around.

And if your dog is any bigger than a chihuahua, he/she will probably chew the s*** out of it,leaving $130 worth of detritus. :p ;) :D

BTW: $130 to roll a ball around the room?? Oh, yeah, I forgot, we get to use our iPhone to control it. Definitely an exciting prospect. :rolleyes:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
195 months ago
Cool. Kinda pricey. Under $60 maybe but $130 wow. My dog would go nuts chasing this around.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iphonesarecool Avatar
195 months ago
Wow, that's cool. I'm loving all these remotely controlled iDevice products coming out.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More

Thursday August 13, 2026 4:20 pm PDT by
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting ...
iPhone 17 One Year Later Thumb 1

Should You Buy an iPhone 17 Now or Wait for iPhone 18?

Friday August 14, 2026 12:15 pm PDT by
For the first time since Apple started selling standard and "Pro" iPhones, we're not going to get an entry-level iPhone model this fall. Apple doesn't plan to release an iPhone 18 in September, and will only launch the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Ultra. The lower-cost iPhone 18 won't come out until spring 2027. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Everything New Your iPhone Can Do on iOS 27 Feature 1

30 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 27

Friday August 14, 2026 6:24 am PDT by
Apple will release iOS 27 in September, and despite the company's focus this year on refining its flagship operating system and nixing bugs, there are still many additional features on the way, not least of which is Apple's new context-aware Siri, re-tooled for the generative AI era. This year's major iPhone software update isn't all about AI, though, as the following feature list...