Player for children: New Toniebox presented – games are added

Children can also play games with the new Toniebox 2. The extended version of the small loudspeaker box with battery operations comes onto the market in mid-September, as the toy manufacturer Tonies from the German Press Agency announced. The new model also does without a screen, but also offers “ToniePlay” as a novelty. This should make it possible to play interactive games and stories alone or together. So far, it was mainly about hearing stories, learning content and music.

The whole thing is controlled via a controller that can be put on the box. According to Tonies, 12 games will be available at the start that can be purchased. The controller must also be bought separately. Figures on the box

The Toniebox has been designed for children and has been sold since 2016. Figures, so -called tonies, can be placed on a cube -shaped box to play content such as radio plays and music or to record something of its own. There are also figures with knowledge and learning content.

Other providers available as Hörbert and tiger box

The Toniebox 2 has 32 instead of 8 gigabytes of memory and, according to the company, is compatible with all previous tonie figures. It is produced in Vietnam and China.

The device is aimed at children up to at least nine years. New tonie figures can also be played on the first tonie box. The old model is to be offered temporarily.

In addition to the Toniebox, there are other audio playback devices for children – such as Hörbert, TigerBox and Galakto. The KEKZHORTER is a children’s headphone with interchangeable audio chips, other models have integrated CD players.

According to the manufacturer, the Toniebox has been sold more than 9.5 million times worldwide. The Institute for Applied Child Media Research states that the digital world is tangible by boxing and figures. This lives up to the children’s sense of hearing and touch. There is also criticism – for example of the high costs for device and figures.

Study sees weaknesses in data protection

A study by the University of Basel criticized the insufficient protection of privacy in 2024. The box collect usage data and transmit it to the manufacturer without adequate encryption. The app requests more access rights than necessary. Other digital play equipment was also criticized.

In 2024 Tonies achieved a global turnover of 480.5 million euros. More than a third was in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. According to its own statements, the company employs 560 people, around 400 of them in Germany, most at the headquarters in Düsseldorf.