Manufacturer: Character Options

RRP: £14.99

Release Date: June 2016

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 19th May 2016

At the end of Season 10 of Doctor Who (which seems so long ago now), to ease the pain of Clara’s departure we were treated to a brand new sonic screwdriver with a completely revamped look, and at last the 12th Doctor got his very own model - and what a model it is!

When we visited Toy Fair back in January of this year, there was next to no Doctor Who merchandise whatsoever - for the first time since the show returned to our screens in 2005. At the event, we had our annual chat with Character Options who said that things should fire up again for the second half of the year, kicking off with the brand new Sonic Screwdriver.

Here we are in May, and we are lucky to be among the first to review the new toy, ahead of its official release date at the start of June.

Starting off with the packaging, it comes in the familiar cylindrical plastic tube and looks quite striking against the blue and orange visuals. The blue of the new sonic really stands out whilst the silver paintwork seems to catch the light more than previous models, again making it jump out at you.

Once out of the packing, it’s clear that Character Options are going more down the replica route this time around. Gone are the legal text and copyright statements - instead, these are housed inside the sonic with a twist and pull motion.

There’s a good weight to it and the hand hold feels natural. The wheeled thumb grip looks and feels great to the touch with a simple push / pull motion, whilst the palm grip, although slightly bulky from an aesthetic point of view, actually sits really well in your hand.

The very bottom of the sonic protrudes out a little, but this is explained on-screen as it's a plug-in point for the TARDIS console.

As for features, for the very first time in a sonic, we have both blue and green light modes with 4 different light FX and sound FX modes. Pushing up once will give you the static green light mode, with familiar baseline sound FX. Pushing down once will give you the static blue light mode with the familiar upper baseline sound FX.

However, the best modes (in our opinion) are when you push up or pull down twice on the wheel; pushing up twice will give you a throbbing green light mode with a tracking bell type sound FX. Pushing down twice will give you a rotating blue light mode with whirring sound FX.

It’s very hard to find fault with the sonic - it looks stunning and it’s nice how the blue paintwork ties in with the TARDIS colouring, whilst the light section at the top reflects the TARDIS’ time rotor. 

For the very reasonable £14.99 RRP, not only do you get a durable, feature-packed toy, but now, thanks to Character Options' continued efforts to listen to the fans, you have a loyal replica!

+  PREORDER The 12th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver from Character Options for £14.99!

Manufacturer: The Wand Company Ltd

RRP: £59.99

Release Date: End of August 2012

Reviewed by: Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 14th August 2012

From the moment you open the packaging, it is clear that the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote is a thing of beauty. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is unlike any other sonic replica out there and the fact that it has IR functionality only adds to the value for money.

Out of the box, the device sits neatly on its own stand with a perspex hood, which protects the sonic should you wish to have it on display. The sonic itself smacks of quality. From the weight, right down to the die-cast metal and hand-polished, copper-plated finish, you can't help feeling that you're holding something a little bit special.

Programming the IR codes is surprisingly easy - long gone are the days of scouring through user manuals, hoping to find the right code for your TV set. All you do is press the desired button on your old remote in front of the sonic remote, and a voice confirms the process with a reassuring 'ok'.

Gestures include, Up, Down, Left Right, Push, Pull, Tap Top, Tab Bottom, Tap Left and Tap Right - with no doubt more that we've yet to discover!

There's an FX mode which houses 13 different sound effects that will please new fans right down to the hardcore purists. There are also some Easter Egg functions, but without spoiling the fun, we'll let you discover those for yourself.

It's hard to fault this product, at times it can seem a little too responsive, but as the instruction manual points out, 'gestures are cool, but humans need to practise them'.

The RRP of £59.99 may seem a little high for a remote control, but what you get here is a loyal replica of the 11th Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver with the added bonus of a remote control. Compared to other replicas that have gone before it, the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote is miles cheaper in comparison, with heaps more functionality to boot.

+  Click Here to buy now from FireBox!

Last month DWO teamed up with Firebox to offer 3 lucky DWO Twitter followers, the chance to win a ticket to the press launch of the Sonic Screwdriver Universal Remote. DWO WhoCast interviewer, Siobhan Gallichan was on-hand to interview the winners on the day which you can listen to below: