Google Android comes to life in toy form

You may have an Android phone in your pocket, but how about an Android android on your shelf? Google's friendly mascot has been cast in vinyl in Series 2 of the Android Mini Collectibles range of 3-inch-tall toys.

The Androids are made by Dyzplastic, the toy brand of English-born, New York-based artist Andrew Bell. Bell designed several of the figures, recruiting other artists and Googlebods to complete the line-up. Google contributed a number of designs, including the transparent Greeneon design pictured above. Another Googler to contribute designs is the big G's user interface designer Jeff Yaksick.

The figures have a bunch of cool details: the propeller spins on the Noogler's beanie cap, while the heads come off the transparent models so you can fill them up with stuff. Maybe you could fill them with Android badges.

We snagged ourselves a Cupcake figure earlier this year at phone fiesta Mobile World Congress, where we also went "wheeee!" on Google's giant slide:

The adorable Android from Google's logo has taken on a life of its own since it was introduced in 2008. Like the software itself, the logo is open source and can be redesigned by anyone. For each update to the software -- which are named after tasty treats -- Google has revealed an official version of the logo, as well as putting glorious statues outside Google HQ in the US.

Each Android comes in a blind box, so it's a surprise which one you get. They're available from Bell's Dead Zebra webstore, costing £5.50, or from a selection of UK toy sites. Click through our gallery to see the line-up, and tell us in the comments which one's your favourite. Android activate!

Bluebot by Google.

Hexcode by Andrew Bell.

GD-927 by Andrew Bell.

Racer by Jeff Yaksick.

Blackbeard by Andrew Bell.

Bernard by Scott Tolleson.

Rupture by Doktor A.

Cupcake by Gary Ham.

Noogler by Google's Jeff Yaksick.

Iceberg by Andrew Bell.

The Series 02 box.

Cai Shen by Andrew Bell, a special edition for Chinese New Year 2011.

Power Vampire by Andrew Bell, a Halloween special edition.

Flakes by Gary Ham, a special edition for winter.

Finally, here's a blank Android for you to create your own version. You could say it's an open-source toy.