This week’s Shark Tank features Toymail pitch their plush toy Talkies, which kids can use to send messages to their parents and friends.
But how do they work, and where can you buy them?
The internet is going crazy of these unique toys. They’ve been featured on Buzzfeed, TechCrunch, Wired, and the New York Times.
But Toymail’s talking plushies have come a long way from their first inception in 2013, when they were small plastic animals.
In 2016, the Toymail company introduced the cuddlier “Talkies” — the newly designed version.
These fun, animal-shaped toys allow kids to send short voice messages to their parents’ cell phones or to other friends who have their own Talkies.
Talkies feature a washable, interchangeably outer cover that protects the Talkie box. The soft plush is perfect for hugging, and the toy reacts to physical play.
The real magic is in the Talkie box, which sends messages over WiFi networks. They can play incoming messages, and are iOS, Android, and Kindle compatible. There’s also an app to use alongside it.
The technology behind the Talkie allows for the software to be updated, so you can connect to the Toymail cloud and unlock new features as they become available. Some features now include: Voice, Reminde, and Hatchie.
Voice allows you to filter your voice for hours of fun, while Reminde allows parents to send programmed messages throughout the day to keep your child on track. Hatchie incentives your children to keep in touch throughout the day.
Talkies are described on the Toymail website as: “A breakthrough simple way for grownups to voice chat with kids. Push a button on the back of the Talkie to message a grownups phone or another kid’s Talkie.”
There are three initial plushies to choose from: Gory Shark, Bitsy Bat, and Hank Dino. All three come with the Talkie and are priced at $59. However, you can buy additional plush skins for only $19 each.
Toymail Plush Talkies are currently available for sale on the firm’s website and also on Amazon!