Yoto Player is a smart speaker for kids, which lets them listen to stories, music, radio, podcasts and more. The aim of Yoto is to open up a world of audio that fires children's imaginations and relieves some of the anxiety that parents have about screen-time.

A key feature of the Yoto experience is the use of physical cards for playback of audio content. This allows children as young as two to be in control of their own content, as well as promoting tactile play and helping with fine motor control development. Alongside the cards, two simple push and twist buttons allow further control of audio. A smartphone app allows parents to monitor and curate content as well as adjust maximum device volume, bedtime settings and other features. The device does not have a microphone or a camera.

A hard-wearing paint finish was used on the ABS plastic casing of the device to allow the minimal 16x16 colour pixel display to shine magically through the front surface, providing feedback and interactive content without being distracting. The design has stereo sound, a headphone port and a rechargeable battery with a magnetic dock allowing children to recharge it safely by themselves.

The device was designed from the ground up for children, but is deliberately not too toy-like, so it is appealing to older kids and won't look out of place in a design-savvy home. The unique five-sided shape is optimised for stereo sound quality and allows the device to be placed upright on a table or tipped back with the display facing the child when used on the floor for interactive content. Turning the device on its face launches a special bedtime mode with the display put to sleep and a rear night light activated.