The Sphero Mini changes that – and it might just be my favorite Sphero yet. It’s about the size of a ping pong ball and costs just $50.

Sphero is also introducing the Mini Soccer, which is a Sphero Mini with a custom black and white shell that looks like a soccer ball.

If you're interested, Sphero Mini is up for sale now, priced at $49.99. Individual shells for the robot will be priced at $12.99.

Sphero Mini isn't waterproof like the larger Sphero, and doesn't have inductive charging. You have to pop open the plastic shell and plug the inner motor in via Micro-USB.

The technology uses a smaller accelerometer and gyroscope. But unlike the original, Mini has an outer shell that must come off in order to charge it the toy, measuring about 1.6-inches in diameter.

In the coming months, Sphero plans to roll out custom cases for the Mini in new colors and designs. You might see licensed cases based on Pokémon (a Poké Ball) or Star Wars (a tiny BB-8 ...

Overall, the Mini is largely similar to Sphero’s original product, except more lively. It comes with a swappable outer shell and lights up. It feels more kid-oriented overall.

Inside that tiny shell is a gyroscope, accelerometer, LED light, Bluetooth chip and a battery, and cramming all that in there might be Sphero Mini's most impressive feature.

The Sphero Mini is priced at $49.99, and comes in white, blue, orange, green, or pink. Extra color shells are $12.99 apiece, and additional pins and cones come in a $9.99 accessory pack.

Robotic ball maker Sphero has introduced a new addition to their range of small rolling robots with the launch of the more affordably priced Sphero Mini which comes complete with its own ...