Hologram Barbie delayed until 2018
The personal assistant for kids won’t materialize this holiday, as Mattel initially planned.
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An early version of the Hello Barbie Hologram dances for visitors at the 2017 New York Toy Fair.
Sorry kids, Hologram Barbie's yoga class needs to be rescheduled.
Mattel delayed the release of its Barbie personal assistant: a voice-controlled animated Barbie projection that lives inside a glowing, pink box. The Hello Barbie Hologram was originally set to be released this year, but a Mattel spokeswoman told CNET the company is delaying the launch until 2018 "due to additional testing of the platform."
The Barbie Hologram was first shown off at the New York Toy Fair in February. Designed to sit on a child's night table, a floating cartoon of Barbie is displayed inside an 11-inch tall Bluetooth speaker. It answers to the command "Hello Barbie." She can report the weather, set reminders, play music, give yoga lessons -- and naturally, throw a dance party upon request.
This animated projection lives inside a glowing box, awaiting commands that start with magic words, "Hello Barbie."
It being a hologram, this animated Barbie can also change form, varying her hair, body type and skin tone.
The delay comes on the heels of Mattel canceling the launch of the Aristotle baby monitor, another voice-activated speaker that was scheduled for release this year.
Aristotle was designed to be an Amazon Echo for kids, but according to a Mattel spokesperson, the company's new chief technology officer pulled the plug after deciding it "did not fully align with Mattel's new technology strategy."
The website for Hello Barbie Hologram would lead you to believe the toy is ready to be launched at any moment -- it's packed with how-to videos and a FAQ center to help users set up their device and accompanying app. However, the page to preorder is currently down.
The price for the toy has yet to be announced.
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