Poketomo
4 independent reviewsRead the findings →Sharp's pocket-sized meerkat robot that chats, remembers what you tell it and starts conversations itself. It suits Japanese speakers after a cute, talkative companion. It's sold only in Japan and won't work without a paid monthly plan.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Sharp’s range
- PoketomoThis model
- Poketomo ore-sama typeSame robot with a cockier, teasing personality
- RoBoHoNSharp's bigger walking robot phone, on sale since 2016
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What reviewers found
Four Japanese outlets lived with Poketomo. ITmedia Mobile and Robostart borrowed units from Sharp and came away warm: both found the chat natural and wide-ranging. Kaden Watch used it at home with a primary-school son and liked its easy-going, friend-like manner, but caught it getting facts wrong. Nikkei Trendy talked to it daily for about 40 days. They all note it needs an internet connection and a paid plan. Only ITmedia Mobile reported it talking over people and waking them at night.
ITmedia Mobile, hands-on, Several days, Dec 2025 (Unit loaned by Sharp) · Kaden Watch, hands-on, Apr 2026 (Used at home with a primary-school child) · Robostart, hands-on, Jan 2026 (Unit loaned by Sharp) · Nikkei Trendy, hands-on, About 40 days, Jan 2026 (Full article needs a free Nikkei account)
What it really does
Mixed resultsAs a chat partner it delivers: ITmedia Mobile and Robostart found conversations natural and wide-ranging. But Kaden Watch caught it getting facts wrong, placing a sweet shop near the wrong station, so treat it as company rather than a reliable assistant.
Staying engaging
Not enough evidenceOnly Kaden Watch's household reported a month of use, logging 445 conversations and finding it a good fit. Nikkei Trendy ran a 40-day test, but we could only read its opening, so its verdict isn't counted here.
Who it suits
Mixed resultsRobostart found it answers the need for someone to talk to. It works best with a talkative owner: Kaden Watch's quiet primary-school son struggled to hold a conversation, and Sharp told ITmedia Mobile it only recognises one owner's face.
App, subscription and running costs
Mixed resultsIt won't work without a monthly COCORO plan the specifications. Kaden Watch's household went past the cheapest tier's limit in a month, Robostart notes there's no charger in the box, and ITmedia Mobile found setup took more steps than expected.
Privacy
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use tested its privacy. Sharp told ITmedia Mobile the camera isn't always on and images aren't kept, while admitting a face-recognition slip could let something private through.
Build quality and battery life
Not enough evidenceOnly ITmedia Mobile tested the battery, which lasted from morning to night without warning when low. No other review we use measured battery life or judged its build.
Support and longevity
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use judged Sharp's support or used Poketomo long enough to report on reliability.
Value
Not enough evidenceOnly Robostart commented, finding the robot's price quite restrained for an AI robot before the monthly plan. No other review we use judged value.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Chatty, friendly and quick to remember
ITmedia Mobile found its conversations genuinely interesting, moving from personal news to current events without long silences, and said it felt more natural than talking to a phone. Robostart said it understood long sentences well and gave sensible replies when told where the tester lived. Kaden Watch saw it keep a conversation about Zelda going with a reluctant child. Expect a friendly chat partner rather than a reference tool, and expect it to use your name and remember what you said.
Don't trust its facts
Kaden Watch asked for a sweet shop near Ueno station and got one that's actually about 2km away in Asakusa. When challenged, Poketomo cheerfully suggested walking there. The reviewer took it as the sort of loose answer a friend might give, but that's no use if you need the right answer. Treat it as company for relaxed evenings, not as a replacement for a proper assistant when you're rushing out the door.
It can talk over you
ITmedia Mobile found Poketomo sometimes answered before they'd finished speaking, and there's a pause while the cloud AI works out a reply, which it fills with little noises. Worse, it piped up unprompted in the dark while the tester was asleep. Sharp told the reviewer a side switch mutes it and the app can limit when it starts conversations. Kaden Watch points to the same switch for when it interrupts you at work. Set quiet hours on day one.
The plan is part of the price
The robot won't work without a monthly COCORO plan the specifications. Kaden Watch explains the three tiers allow roughly 400, 800 or 1,600 conversations a month. Its household used 445 in a month, so the reviewer would pick the middle tier rather than risk Poketomo going quiet mid-month. Robostart notes there's no charger in the box either, so budget for a plug or Sharp's charging stand.
Battery lasted the day
ITmedia Mobile kept Poketomo in the living room from morning to night and it never ran flat during the day. Sharp told the reviewer it's designed to last a day, depending on use. The catch is that it won't warn you when the battery is low, so the reviewer suggests charging it every night like a phone. Robostart also reports more than a day from a full charge.
All four reviews are Japanese and cover the Japanese version. ITmedia and Robostart used units loaned by Sharp. We could only read the free part of Nikkei's 40-day test.
Our take
Should you buy the Poketomo?
Best for: Japanese speakers in Japan wanting a small conversation companion. Skip it if: You do not want an ongoing paid plan.
If you read and speak Japanese and want a chatty, cute companion that remembers you, Poketomo is a well-reviewed pocket talker, as long as you're happy to pay a monthly plan. Everyone else should look elsewhere. Casio's Moflin is on sale widely and asks for no subscription, though it squeaks rather than talks. Robopoet's Fuzozo chats too, but it's just as hard to buy outside its home market.
Poketomo is Sharp's small talking companion: a meerkat about the size of a phone that waves its arms, lights up its tummy and chats with you. It's a cheaper, simpler cousin of Sharp's RoBoHoN robot phone. There's no screen and no mobile data. It talks through Sharp's own AI, which answers easy things on the robot and hands harder questions to a cloud chatbot. It remembers your chats, looks at things through a camera in its mouth, and shares the same memory with a phone app you can talk to when it isn't with you.
The catch is the plan. Sharp won't let the robot work without a monthly subscription, and the cheaper tiers cap how many conversations you get. It also needs an internet connection to chat. Japanese reviewers liked talking to it, but one found it butted in while they were still speaking and woke them at night. It's sold in Japan and Taiwan and speaks Japanese only, so it's a curiosity for most English speakers.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a subscription to keep working?
Yes. Sharp's store says the robot can't be used at all without a COCORO plan the specifications. Kaden Watch lists three monthly tiers that differ only in how many conversations you get, and found a month of family use went just past the lowest tier's limit. Count the plan in what you'll pay each year.
Does it work offline?
Not for conversation. Robostart explains its replies are processed in the cloud, so it needs an internet connection wherever you take it. ITmedia Mobile notes the gap before replies comes from that cloud step. Without a connection, it's a cute figure that can't chat.
What does it record, and where does that go?
It remembers your conversations and uses a camera in its mouth to recognise your face and look at things you show it. Sharp told ITmedia Mobile the camera isn't always on and that images other than registered data aren't kept on the robot or in the cloud. Robostart says photos from its look-at-this feature are sent to the cloud for analysis.
Can the whole family use it?
Partly. Sharp told ITmedia Mobile that anyone can chat with it, but it only recognises one owner's face, and won't bring up remembered conversations with other people. Sharp also admitted a face-recognition slip could still let something private through. Kaden Watch found a quiet child struggled to hold a conversation, so it works best with a talkative owner.
How long does the battery last?
About a day. Sharp claims more than a day of use and about 100 minutes to charge the specifications. ITmedia Mobile kept it on from morning to night without it running out. It doesn't warn you when it's low, so charge it overnight.
Alternatives
Other companion robots to compare.
Moflin
Why consider it: A soft robot pet that testers found soothing, sold widely and with no plan to pay.
The compromise: It doesn't talk at all, and its chirps can wake you at night.
Fuzozo
Why consider it: Another pocket-sized companion that chats, remembers you and grows a personality.
The compromise: It's only officially sold in China, and nobody has reviewed it in English.
Eilik
Why consider it: A tiny desk character that reacts to touch and needs no app or Wi-Fi.
The compromise: It doesn't chat, and the battery lasts about 90 minutes.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Poketomo?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- ITmedia Mobile: シャープのAIロボ「ポケとも」と暮らしてみた スマホよりも自然に会話ができる“もう1人の家族”だ ↗Hands-on, Several days · Unit loaned by Sharp
- Kaden Watch: シャープのポケともと話したら、友達みたいにユルくて楽しい【家電レビュー】 ↗Hands-on · Used at home with a primary-school child
- Robostart: 生成AIで会話が進化、シャープ「ポケとも」と実際に暮らしてわかった「共感する友達」感【レビュー】 ↗Hands-on · Unit loaned by Sharp
- Nikkei Trendy: 約40日間試して分かった 「ポケとも」のマシンガントークとの付き合い方 ↗Hands-on, About 40 days · Full article needs a free Nikkei account
Sources
- Sharp: ポケとも本体「むじゃきタイプ」(ロボット単体) SR-C01M-W ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Charbax: Sharp Poketomo pocket AI companion robot: ChatGPT LLM, face ID camera, 4 motors ↗
- Thanks to Caleb Chung: Sharp Poketomo companion AI Robot #ai #robotpet #airobot #companionrobot #cuterobot ↗
- Search YouTube for Sharp Poketomo ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.