Cool remote control robots that are compatible with Sphero's educational programming apps, Artoo and his new friend might be the droids you're looking for.

Orbotix's impressive Sphero 2.0 and Ollie rolling robots started out as educational toys but the gadget maker lost its way in recent years, focusing more on movie tie-ins with limited functionality or educational value like BB-8, Lightning McQueen and Spider-Man.

Sphero is back on the Star Wars bandwagon in anticipation of Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, which arrives in cinemas in December, but thankfully this time around it's struck a better balance between entertainment and education.

Artoo is an old favourite and Star Wars fans have certainly been waiting for him to get the Sphero treatment, but – spoiler alert – BB-9E is a newcomer who we won't officially meet until The Last Jedi is released. BB-8 also hit the shelves before he hit the screen, so we'll need to accept BB-9E on faith and trust he's not the Jar Jar Binks of The First Order.

The new droid in town

At $249, Sphero's BB-9E is basically BB-8's evil twin with the same cricket ball-sized dimensions but a flat R5-style detachable magnetic head that stays upright as he rolls along. Unlike his predecessor, Sphero BB-9E's body can wirelessly supply power to his head so his eye can light up.

You'll find a wireless charge cradle and USB cable in the box, plus a new plastic "droid trainer" stand which lets BB-9E roll on the spot. The stand is designed to be used with the Augmented Reality features in the new Sphero Star Wars app – similar to the current Sphero BB-8 app – letting you see the droids' point of view as they move around in a ship. Artoo gets to explore the Millennium Falcon while BB-8 and BB-9E get Alliance and Imperial ships respectively.

The Sphero Star Wars app is available in the iOS and Android app stores and can switch between controlling any of the droids rather than requiring a separate app for each.

You'll find the same features as the original Sphero BB-8 app; you can drive the droids around like a remote control car, draw shapes for them to trace out on the floor or put them into Patrol mode so they roam around the room. You can also trigger cute responses borrowed from the movies; they'll make happy, sad and inquisitive noises, move around and even reenact key scenes such as when R2-D2 is stunned by the Jawas on Tatooine.

Just like BB-8, BB-9E is quite zippy and fun to drive around. You steer him using an onscreen joystick under your left thumb but unfortunately, like BB-8, there's no tilt-to-steer option as you'll find with the Sphero 2.0.

Rather than going over too much old ground, it's easier to just reread my detailed BB-8 review as they're practically the same device with different paint jobs. Naturally you don't feel the same bond playing with a mysterious new droid we're yet to see on the screen. The only new feature worth mentioning is the AR mode using the droid trainer, which BB-8 can also use.

The three droids are also designed to work in unison, with Artoo calling them shot via a direct Bluetooth link. They can work as a team in Patrol mode as well as Watch With Me mode, where they react while you're watching the movies by listening to the soundtrack. For now this works with Episode VII and Rogue One but it's also coming to the original trilogy.

The wider Sphero app ecosystem

Like BB-8, the two new droids don't work with most games released for the Sphero 2.0 robot, including Sharky The Beaver and The Rolling Dead which also take advantage of AR. Personally I thought those kinds of games helped give the original Sphero more long-term appeal, but I'm told that Sphero owners lost interest in them so the developers are focusing their efforts elsewhere.

The good news is that R2-D2 and BB-9E both work with Sphero Edu (formerly Spark), Sphero's programming app which offers a simple Scratch-style modular interface aimed at students. They also work with the Star Wars Swift Playground programming environment on the iPad.

At this point the droids once again become educational robots rather than merely cute remote control Star Wars toys. It was frustrating that BB-8 didn't work with the Sphero programming app when he was first released, this was rectified later but it still put a major dent in his credibility when he first hit the shelves. It's great to see that the new droids will be programmable from day one.

UPDATE: Apple is offering free Star Wars Sphero programming lessons at Apple stores across Australia, using Swift Playgrounds and the brand-new R2-D2 and BB-9E as well as BB-8. The sessions start today and will continue for one month, you can register at apple.com/au/today. Apple supplies Sphero droids to use during the lesson, or you can bring your own.

Meanwhile educational electronics maker LittleBits is also getting in on the Star Wars action, letting you build and program your own R2-D2.

An old friend

If you already own BB-8 then there's little to get excited about with BB-9E unless you're determined to collect the set and pay another $249 for practically the same thing. The new R2-D2 is the real star of the show, especially for those of us old enough to remember watching the original trilogy in the cinemas and have in turn introduced a new generation to Star Wars.

At $299, Artoo stands 16.5 cm tall and is roughly the size of a 500ml carton of milk. There's a fair amount of detail in his body, it's not just a fancy paint job. He's in pristine condition, lacking the scuffs and scrapes that he bears in the movies. Of course this leaves the window open for a second model with authentic battle damage, as we saw with BB-8.

Artoo doesn't come with a wireless charge cradle, instead this droid has a well-hidden vertical micro-USB port on the back alongside his rear air vent.

He's surprisingly animated thanks to four built-in motors, making him more like Sphero's boisterous Lightning McQueen than the surprisingly dull Spider-Man. Artoo's head lights up and turns, plus he has a built-in speaker – unlike the BB-series Spheros which rely on your smartphone speaker to make noise.

Coming to life

That built-in speaker really takes Artoo to the next level, making him seem much more life-like than the other droids. He beeps, chirps and hums just like in the movies, plus he sometimes makes mechanical noises as he moves – using a built-in sensor to react to your presence.

Sitting on the dining room table and left to his own devices while connected to the app, R2-D2 chatters away to himself and is far more animated and engaging than the BB droids. Unfortunately he puts himself to sleep when you switch to another app, so you can't use your phone for other things while he amuses himself. It's a shame he isn't a little more autonomous, with the ability to turn his head and chirp hello when you walk past while he's sitting on your desk or the shelf.

Caterpillar tracks on his feet let Artoo move around, at which point he leans back and extends a third leg for support before he races across the floor. Even more impressive, the motors in his two main legs let him waddle, rock and bounce when he's excited – once again adding to that sense that he's a lot more alive than the other droids.

When Artoo reenacts being stunned by the Jawas he squeals and bounces around before falling flat on his face, much to the delight of onlookers who've seen that scene perhaps more times than they care to admit.

Artoo's Sphero Star Wars app controls are identical to the other droids but add the ability to turn his head from side to side. When he's on the move he's not as fast and nimble as the BB robots but that adds to the sense of realism, he's just so engaging and loveable – without being over the top like Lightning McQueen – that he'll bring a smile to the face of even the most cynical Star Wars fan.

So what's the verdict?

It's great to see Sphero getting back to its educational roots by ensuring that all the Star Wars droids are compatible with its programming apps. If you don't care about the Star Wars tie-in, Sphero has more educational products in the works but isn't ready to talk about them publicly just yet.

The extra $50 for Artoo over BB-9E is well spent when he's much more engaging and life-like. It's a shame that BB-9E doesn't bring more to the party. At $249 each, it's hard to see why you'd want both him and the loveable BB-8 unless the new droid puts on one hell of a show in The Last Jedi, or you're a mad collector who'll simply hand over cash for anything with Star Wars written on the box.