We got a sneak peak at probably the coolest 'Star Wars' toy ever made

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Say hello to your new best friend, BB-8! Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

When "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" hits theaters in December, everyone's fan favorite is sure to be the adorable ball droid, BB-8.

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If you wish you could have your own, you're in luck! Boulder-based robotics startup Sphero is releasing a miniature version of the droid Friday with Disney.

The app-enabled BB-8 will set you back $150, but after playing with it we have to say, it seems totally worth it.

Tech Insider got a sneak peek at the "Star Wars" droid ahead of launch and it's very cool.

See what's inside.

 

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This is BB-8, the new adorable ball droid who will star in December's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

BB8 Star Wars Force Awakens
Disney/LucasFilm via YouTube
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When Disney CEO Bob Iger saw what Sphero could accomplish, he connected them with the folks at Disney Consumer Products and Lucasfilm to develop a smaller version of the ball droid to be released in conjunction with the film.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Tech Insider got an early look at the toy which will hit shelves Friday. The $150 miniature droid will come in a sleek "Star Wars" case. Let's take a look at it!

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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Here we see some info on the droid inside the box. He's durable (which is good since we'll be taking him on a tour across the floor), has a big personality, and you can interact with it through voice commands. We're also told BB-8 comes with his own little charging base. Cool.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

The box assures us that this is the droid we've been waiting for.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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The other side of the box previews a little more of what BB-8 can do. It can listen to commands, record video messages, and move just like the real droid in the new film. The bottom of the box tells us BB-8's attitude and actions will "evolve as you interact." "Our goal was to make it as life-like to what you just saw on the screen," Sphero chief creative officer Rob Maigret told Tech Insider.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Finally, here's the back of the box, which tells us a few more details about the droid waiting for us inside.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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Look closely and you'll learn a new tidbit about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." It turns out BB-8 belongs to Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) even though we've seen the ball droid with Rey (Daisy Ridley) in every teaser trailer for the film.

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It turns out BB-8 belongs to Poe Dameron, who's played by Oscar Isaac in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Okay, let's take the sheath off the box to unveil ... another box!

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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It's marked with an adorable minimalist sketch of BB-8 showing how the droid got its name — two ball shaped figures atop one another to make a figure eight.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Maigret says once you open up the initial box, fans are supposed to feel like they're inside the world of "Star Wars." "If I bought a droid, what would the box look like?" asked Maigret. "We [Sphero] designed it as best we could on how it may be like if you just bought one of these ... We hope people will keep the box, especially collectors."

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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Lift up the flap and there's the familiar "Star Wars" logo.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

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The removable Sphero card lifts up to reveal a set of instructions for charging the droid along with where to get the app to control BB-8.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Finally, there's BB-8!

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"BB-8 is presented to you as if he's been sleeping," says Maigret. "He's just ready to come out." Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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Beneath BB-8, you can see his charging station which is labeled with the "Star Wars" logo.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

In addition to the charging base, BB-8 comes with a USB cord which plugs into the base.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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Taking everything out, BB-8 comes as two separate pieces.

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When turning on the app from a device, BB-8's head easily connects to his body as if the two were magnets.

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"Our big thing with this was obviously figuring out how the head would work," says Maigret. "That was the first challenge." Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

 

 

 

 

 

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Maigret tells us that's not the case, but wouldn't divulge how the ball droid magically stays together.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

"A lot of people have taken them apart and speculated," he says. "We know people are going to take it apart and figure it out so we don't necessarily want to give it away."

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BB-8 is relatively small. The nearly four-inch tall droid easily fits into the size of my palm.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Maigret says they also considered 12-inch figures.

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"This also happens to be the size of Sphero [the company's initial app-activated spheres], so we know it's a good design for a ball," he says.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

Here's everything that comes with BB-8. Starting Friday, the toy will be available at 35 retailers in the US including Apple stores, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Target, and Disney.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider
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It takes a full three hours to charge up BB-8 for an hour of play.

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Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

We'll take out BB-8 to play soon. Until then ...

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Say hello to your new best friend, BB-8! Kirsten Acuna/Tech Insider

See all of the "Star Wars" movies Disney and Lucasfilm have planned for the next five years >

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