Okay a little story that tells us why it is a dumb idea to buy your kids toys which rely on an app.
I have bought my daughter a Littlebits Droid Inventor Kit two years ago. At least i got it really cheap. Like most of those elektronic toys it was fun for some weeks before it was sitting around and wasnt touched anymore.
Some days ago i thought i give it a new try. But when i wanted to download the App to my daughters iPad i recognized that the app was not in the Appstore anymore. Neither in the iOS App Store and not in the Google Playstore.
After a short research i found out the Sphero, which bought Littlebits a time ago, decleared the Droid Inventor and other Littlebits Kits as EOL and pulled the Apps from the App Stores on 6th July 2021. Thats claimed in the Sphero support forum
Of course that is not covered by Sphero’s Warrenty.
Beeing honest that is a really bitchy move for a product which was launched late 2017 and which is still been soled for example on Amazon. So the reason could not be a technical one.
For Android users there is a solution in the support forum by sideloading the App. But iOS Users are out of luck if they havent „purchased“ the app in the past. Even thought if it still works on Android we cant be sure if it will in the future.
It is okay if a company loses interest in their products, but simply pulling the plug? Many people are now sitting there with a half kilo of useless plastic and electronics, in times were we are talking about global warming, sustainability etc.
I dont think that is good promotion for a company making Money in STEM.
For me, i want be buying Sphero Products anymore!