FIJIT Friends Willa Interactive Toy

by Mattel

Product Features

• Girls can poke and squeeze Fijit's soft, tactile skin that enables lifelike movements and fun surprises
• Fijit can respond more than 100 built-in phrases and jokes!
• Recognizes different types of music and perform different dance moves
• Features voice recognition, beat detection capabilities, and includes her own original songs too!
• The 5 AA batteries included with your Fijit Friend are for demonstration purposes only. Please remove and replace for optimal performance.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.9 x 8.5 inches ; 1.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B004E9TU22
• Item model number: W2377
• Manufacturer recommended age: 6 - 12 years
• Batteries: 5 AA batteries required. (included)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,599 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
  • #40 in Toys & Games > Dolls & Accessories > Dolls
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (106 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Hands-On Review

REVIEW: Willa, a smart, fun, and funny Fijit Friend, is an interactive toy that'll become your child's new best friend. With supple skin that enables amazing movement, this trend-setting purple Fijit Friend has several interactive features, including voice recognition, beat detection, dance mode, and over 150 built-in responses. Recommended for ages six and up, Willa will be a fast and lasting friend that chats, dances, jokes, and performs.

Willa The Trend-Setting Fijit Friend At a Glance: Age: 6 years and up Requirements: 5 AA batteries * Colors and decorations may vary.

Willa The Trend-Setting Fijit Friend

Meet Willa, the Trend-Setting Fijit Friend
Willa is always a step ahead of the latest and greatest, whether it's fashion or whatever's new and cool. She's confident, stylish, and a natural leader. Like all Fijit Friends, Willa was created when a gooey science experiment was brought to life by the power of music. She loves to laugh until her sides hurt, dance until she's dizzy, and be herself with her one true bestie.

The Fijit Friends Interactive Toy Collection consists of four different Fijit Friends (sold separately), each with their own different personalities and jokes.

Soft, Tactile Skin Enables Lifelike Movements
This Fijit Friend is made with a durable plastic head, cute removable ears, and a squishy shell that's a delight to touch. Poke her belly to prompt cool movements and fun surprises.

Your new friend's body and head will turn, bounce, and wiggle. Even her LED face and eyes will light up in response to stimuli. With unique movements and a huggable form, she'll make a fascinating new BFF.

Watch as Your Fijit Friend Dances to the Beat
Play your own music and watch this Fijit Friend boogie in dance mode. Beat Sensors allow physical and emotional reactions to different styles of music--from slow ballads to lively pop tracks. Dance along as she rocks, twirls, and bounces to the beat. She'll even perform her own original songs.

Responds to Your Voice with Phrases, Jokes, and More
Eager to chat and make you laugh, this Fijit Friend features voice recognition, allowing her to identify over 30 voice commands and respond with more than 150 built-in phrases and jokes. When it's time for bed, wish your Fijit Friend a goodnight. Her belly will glow like a nightlight as she nods to sleep.

This Fijit Friend can also detect and respond to various media platforms, including mobile applications, webisodes, television commercials, and more.

What's in the Box
Willa Fijit Friend, five AA "Try-Me" batteries, and instructions.

Meet the Fijit Friends
Logan The Sporty Fijit Friend	Sage The Adventurous Fijit Friend	Serafina The Sweetie-Pie Fijit Friend

END

Product Description

Mattel Fijit Friends Willa Interactive Toy Purple - Mattel W2377.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

243 of 252 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just a few additional comments for clarification, September 14, 2011

By 

J. Hand (southern Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: FIJIT Friends Willa Interactive Toy (Toy)

First off, many reviews said the toy FIJIT Friends Willa Interactive Toy didn't respond properly until the batteries were replaced. It's hard to see, but this is written on one side of the box about the 5 installed AA batteries that come in the toy: "for safety purposes [the installed batteries] are for demonstration use only". I take that to mean they are not regular batteries and will, by design, discharge rapidly. This is to prevent the batteries leaking and damaging the battery box in the toy if it sits on the shelf for a time. That would also serve to prevent getting toxic stuff on little (or big) fingers. The toy did start malfunctioning after less than an hour of use with the original batteries. Replacing them made everything work perfectly again. With the original batteries, some of the actions like the dancing, didn't work and even though I knew the battery situation beforehand, I thought they'd last a bit longer than what they did so I initially thought the toy was defective.

Expect to change the batteries right off. Since it takes 5 batteries, a couple big AA battery 10 packs may well be worth adding to the toy when you purchase it. I haven't had it long enough to see how long battery life is. For the eco-aware, maybe rechargeables and a charger would be the way to go. Just get enough so one group can be charging while the others are installed. Expensive, yes, but probably the right thing to do.

I didn't find the toy excessively loud as some complaints about a lack of volume control implied. It may be distracting if you were watching TV and someone was sitting right next to you playing with it. But, in another room or any distance away and you aren't going to hear it unless you you are trying to listen for it and are just looking for nit-picks to dislike the toy. There are regulations in place that govern audio levels for most consumer products. Well, except for the double volume TV commercials far too many networks play even though that is against FCC rules.

Some things the toy says are very hard to understand at first. It speaks in a voice that mimics an auto-recorder- that device that adds an electronic almost robotic effect to voices that is popular among some recording artists. It took some time to figure out everything Willa was saying. The difficult to understand become clearer after careful listening. After you know what it says it gets easier to understand.

This was requested by an 11 year old girl for a birthdat present so I'll see how long it keeps the "cute and cool" factor going. I'll post back on any other developments.

FOLLOW-UP

After the toy was in use for a month it now sits on a shelf collecting dust. After all the jokes have been heard several dozen times, after all the other responses, comments, dances, and everything else the toy does was had been repeated so much there were no more surprises, the girl lost interest in this toy. It took slightly less than two weeks. It was a lot of fun when she first got it and she probably saw and heard everything it could do or say within the first couple days. Then there were a couple days of showing it off. Then it wasn't as much fun and I dare say she was even getting annoyed with it. Because it has a rubbery skin and you can feel the hard parts underneath it, it isn't a cuddly kind of toy where it's something a kid would carry around to snuggle with. It reminds me of the type of rubber skin that would be prone to dirt and grime from dirty fingers sticking ot. Instructions say it can be washed with a detergent-free moist cloth. The curly things pull off and there is an optional set of things that can replace them. They must be purchased and ordered spearately, of course. FIJIT Friends Willa Accessory Pack

When I told her that there are supposed to be downloads available at some point with new material, the girl sighed and said it would only end up being boring again after a short time. On that note, I haven't looked too closely but I don't know if there is a port or any connection point for a cable. Right now just how this update process works is still a mystery. There is nothing in any of the instructions or 'how to' sheets that shows much about it. The planned updates are mentioned, but that's the extent of it.

So far, I haven't been able to locate any update site but that doesn't mean there isn't one. I just haven't found it yet.

There was no problem with the toy responding as long as it was commanded with a normal, clear voice. Shreiking or yelling at it didn't cause any response or an incorrect one. As an adult, I did find some of its actions amusing and I did laugh out loud over some antics. I still never found it too loud. Again, it was a gift for an 11 year old girl. In terms of the content of the jokes and much of its other interaction I think from 9 up would be the appropriate ages for kids to 'get' the jokes. I think they may be a bit much for younger kids to understand but the rest of the actions are fairly younger kid safe. The dancing and rest would definitely be amusing to younger ones and probably the younger the recipient is, the longer before boredom with it sets in.

I asked the girl if after she had it for a month and had grown tired of it if knowing what it said and did if she would still want it again or gotten something else of equal monetary value. Without hesitation, she said "Something else."

Addition again: One person commented then deleted it but had a valid point. I did rate Willa with 4 stars, but because it was a neat concept and it certainly was amusing. But, the luster wore off very quickly. Despite having asked a dozen or more times for the recipient to bring it back so i could test the extras as i outlined in my follow up, but she's so disinterested in it that it's a forgotten item in her life all together. If she still does show up with it, I will follow through. Right now, her not even wanting to do that speaks volumes.

58 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Willa went Wacky!, September 9, 2011

By 

Nana - See all my reviews

= Durability:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: FIJIT Friends Willa Interactive Toy (Toy)

Bought Willa for granddaughter's 7th birthday. She loved it and had a ball for 2 hours. Then it stopped responding, and started babbling. Changed batteries, reset, went on-line for help, tried everything. My husband even put her in the fridge in case she had short-circuited. Well, our dear Willa just kept on babbling nonsense. She wouldn't listen to anyone. I drove her back to ToysRUs. They seemed suspiciously not surprised. I opted to replace her, hoping for the best. Tears turned to joy as my granddaughter again played and danced with Willa. For an hour. Then, horrors, over the edge she went yet again. She had lost her mind. Disappointed that Mattel didn't work out the kinks before putting the little Fijits on the shelves. Great potential but not yet ready. They need to issue a major recall and go back to the drawing board. I will be returning Willa #2 to the store and shop for a gift that is not electronic. Third time's a charm :)

38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fijit, July 8, 2011

By 

emk - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: FIJIT Friends Willa Interactive Toy (Toy)

I bought this for my daughters birthday....it is a great innovative toy...my only Complaint would be that the fijit doesn't always recognize or respond to commands or certain questions....it frustrates my daughter- originally I thought it was because she might have not been speaking clearly enough but I find that it happens to me as well when I give it a try. Great idea but I still think some kinks may need to be ironed out as far as voice recognition.