Hub

I got this along with the new train motor (88011) to replace my Holiday and Harry Potter train's setup. So far I'm happy with the setup. On the plus side, the receiver is already built in so it gets rid of the IR receiver for a cleaner look, and remote in favor of the Powered Up phone app. Does not require line of sight to control but you will need a compatible device (phone, tablet,or the new Lego bluetooth remote) which needs to be on all the time to control. It has 2 ports but only port "A" can be used for the motor by the "train" app (port "B" can be controlled using the "Batman" app but can be weird -- download or review the Powered Up app to better understand what these mean). I use the "B" port with the color/distance sensor (88007) to experiment on some coding controls. Controls are responsive so far, but the app in its initial development stage is too basic. The app can control up to 4 of these hubs. On the minus side, this hub is limited in use to creations that don't use too much controls (like trains). You cannot daisy chain components like how the old motors and lights did -- you cannot control 2 motors simultaneously on a single channel. This "Powered Up" (PU) technology is not compatible with the older "Power Function" (PF) technology. Also, the ports don't have clips and components will easily slip out of this hub when pulled. Battery life seems to be shorter given that it also powers the Bluetooth radio receiver. A big bummer for me though, with the old one (PF) you can leave the train running when you turn off/toss away the remote, but with PU the train stops when the app turns off or moves away from range, so you can't just leave your train running in the background when you step away. This hub is more for the tech oriented kids and adults, but may not appeal to younger kids looking to have a simple motorized out-of-the-box fun with their builds. However, I do like how this reduces the parts needed to control my trains. This seems to have firmware capability so current limitations *may* be addressed in the future with firmware updates. more less

Overall, I see what Lego wanted to do with the new PUP system. It eliminates the IR weakness, removes the need for a separate receiver, and updates the system to be "app-enabled" like all the cool toys are now. I think that also brought some new limitations that Lego CAN remove, but hasn't yet. I'm looking forward to seeing the PUP system appear in Technic sets to see how Lego handles that. more less

I am excited by the potential provided in the new version of the Powered Up App. Tying together the best of Boost, Powered up elements and even WeDo sensors, as well as offering a variable level of complexity , in a unified platform is exciting. I am happy after running these tests that I should be able to control a train powered by a simple M motor running, being controlled using in line tiles. more less