When Will Furby Connect Be Available?

Furby is back, people — and it's better than ever. The memorable childhood toy is going to turn 18 this year (holy cow), and its latest edition has revealed a huge makeover: Furby is now more intelligent and connected than we ever knew. So, where can you get a Furby Connect? Here are all the details on the furry little companion, because, well... you know you want one. Even if you're a fully-grown adult. Because... Furby.

As of July 7 (that's literally right now!), Furby Connect is available for pre-order exclusively on Amazon; according to Furby Connect's product page on Amazon, the toy itself, which costs around around $100 ($99.99, to be exact), will be released on July 12. Currently it's available in two colors, teal and pink, although three more colors are also expected to arrive later in the year. Once Fall 2016 rolls around, it will also be available at retailers nationwide, according to a press release. Oh, and the app you need to make Furby Connect work its magic? That's also available starting today in the Amazon Appstore, iTunes App Store, and Google Play Store.

While the same Furby we played with as kids is definitely still there, Furby Connect is certainly a lot jazzier. In 2012, the toy was introduced with LED eyes and app connectivity, but it's advanced even more since then. Furby Connect can have all kinds of digital fun, like laying digital eggs and pooping into a digital toilet, when you place the toy over the screen of your phone. (Bear with me here.)

The eyes are able to make even more expressions (over 100!), and the Bluetooth technology is more advanced and works with all kinds of smartphones and tables. If you download the app (available on iOs, Android, and Kindle Fire devices), you can even have two Furbies talk to each other. Included in the app are videos and music from Hasbro that are perfect for kids. Furby will sing and dance along with them; and it now has an antenna on its head that's also a joystick. It can speak over 1,000 phrases, too! Since it knows the date and time, it might ask for a little snack. The app delivers new content, so that kids are constantly engaged in fresh, exciting ways.

Here's the part that's got me the most excited, because one of the admitted downsides of the original Furby is that it didn't have an off switch: The toy now comes with an eye mask, which, when placed on Furby, mutes the toy and effectively turns it off.

Furby Connect sounds like such a cool new friend — I might have to get one myself.

Image: Hasbro