Recommended controllers for control+

[allanp]

So with control+ just around the corner I think this could be a good topic to discuss which devices the community would recommend for controlling and programming their control+ quipped Lego creations.

Any device would obviously need wifi and Bluetooth and a touch screen. But beyond that I'm kind of a noob when it comes to the technical aspects. For example, doesn't control+ use a newer low power form of Bluetooth? Will any old Bluetooth device be compatible?

Other considerations people might have is if they want to try the most cost effective option and download the app onto their existing smartphone. But another option would be to buy a dedicated device that would be used just for control+. This is obviously not the most cost effective approach but it does have some advantages. Firstly it doesn't have to be a phone. It could be a tablet with a larger screen making control and programming easier. If your kids wanna play with it then I think some people might be more comfortable letting them play without much supervision with a small inexpensive tablet than their own personal smart phone. You also don't have to clog up your smart phone with even more stuff. I don't know about you but my phone is already showing signs of slowing down despite only being a few years old. I think you would also get a more "premium" experience from having such a dedicated device. It may be made by Samsung or whoever, but to you it would be your Lego remote.

Another consideration is future proofing. Many of us appreciate the fact that our old electronic sets still work, like our bar-code trucks and our control centres. They still work fine which really is great and also speaks to the superior quality of Lego products. Are there any such devices or brands that can match that kind of longevity and future proofyness?

Please note, while I wouldn't dare to tell people what to do on the internet, I would merely suggest that this not be the topic to discuss the pros/cons of control+ itself, as I think this would inflate this topic beyond use.

So for all you guys and gals that are more tech savvy than I am (most of you I'm sure), I'd like to hear your thoughts.  

Money wise option of using existing smart phone;

• Minimum phone requirements (do we even know this yet?) so we can know if our existing phones will be ok

Premium dedicated device option

• What device would it be (phone/small tablet/big tablet/something else)
• Minimum device requirements
• recommended requirements for the absolute best experience/highest performance
• other consideration like future proofing or child proofing!

I think it would be nice to get a bit of a head start on figuring out what our control+ options are before buying any sets so that we can be ready to go as soon as we have built our first control+ model.

[Jockos]

I think I'm gonna use my tablet, which is not a big one, so that will be my controller. Not only of the size, but at least it gets a proper function finally

[kbalage]

Minimum requirements should be similar to the Powered Up or Boost Android/iOS apps as they share the same protocol. 

[Timoonn]

My good ol' S4 with 5.0.1 is not C+ ready 

I cant install the app. But the powered up one works 

Edited July 27, 2019 by Timoonn

[LegoTT]

Premium option is not all this smartphone/tablet crap, it is a physical controler with joystick etc and a device for programming sequences

[Maaboo the Witch]

Works on my phone. Now I only wish I had the set!

 

...Dammit.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Maaboo35

[allanp]

  On 7/27/2019 at 11:12 AM, Maaboo35 said:

Works on my phone. Now I only wish I had the set!

 

...Dammit.

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What phone do you have?

 

[syclone]

Android application weight: 210MB

Required permissions to work: Bluetooth and GPS location of your device

Confirmed as being able to launch on Samsung Galaxy A8, A50 and J7. Any functionality not tested as it requires the hub to be connected

Edited July 27, 2019 by syclone

[Modeltrainman]

I'm using a Surface Pro 6 with @Cosmik42's Brick Automation Project for my Powered Up trains,

[Maaboo the Witch]

  On 7/27/2019 at 2:56 PM, allanp said:

What phone do you have?

 

Expand  

Samsung Note J5.

[Jockos]

Samsung A5 2017 is also good

[Akbalder]

Why does it require the permission to use the gps?

[efferman]

  On 7/27/2019 at 5:48 PM, Akbalder said:

Why does it require the permission to use the gps?

Expand  

The same was or better is the same at powered up. No idea why

[kbalage]

  On 7/27/2019 at 5:48 PM, Akbalder said:

Why does it require the permission to use the gps?

Expand  

Needed for the Bluetooth connection, it is Android's "fault".

[efferman]

Sbricks bluetooth Connection works without enabled gps

[grum64]

Oh dear. Looks like my trusty Note 3 & S3 won’t make the grade so I guess my iPad 5 is going to have to do... until of course that too is deemed incompatible 

[kbalage]

  On 7/27/2019 at 6:21 PM, efferman said:

Sbricks bluetooth Connection works without enabled gps

Expand  

Might use a different approach, BrickController 2 requires the same access. Quote from that topic:

More info: Android 6.0 changes
"To access the hardware identifiers of nearby external devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi scans, your app must now have the ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION or ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION permissions"

[Bricktrain]

my J5 Galaxy only has Android 5 so had to upgrade my phone to download the app. Android 6.0 is minimum.

 

[allanp]

It seems that Control+ requires a device with slightly higher specs than the powered up app.

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/service/device-guide/control-plus

Android 6.0 and 1.5gb of ram for control+ vs android 5.3 and 1gb of ram for powered up. My smart phone is android 7 but only 1gb of ram.

Edited August 4, 2019 by allanp

[knotian]

  On 7/27/2019 at 10:57 AM, LegoTT said:

Premium option is not all this smartphone/tablet crap, it is a physical controler with joystick etc and a device for programming sequences

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AMEN Why should I have to buy an electronic device just to use Lego. I do not own nor use a tablet or smartphone. I'm strictly a desktop person.

[allanp]

Well I've just upgraded my phone to a pixel 3a so that's that problem sorted!

[andythenorth]

  On 8/4/2019 at 1:05 PM, knotian said:

AMEN Why should I have to buy an electronic device just to use Lego. I do not own nor use a tablet or smartphone. I'm strictly a desktop person.

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Well   This is a discussion about Lego that contains electronics?  So an electronic device is inherently required no? 

There's always the option to use the older electrical systems.

[Toastie]

  On 8/5/2019 at 12:56 PM, andythenorth said:

Well   This is a discussion about Lego that contains electronics?  So an electronic device is inherently required no? 

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That is so true. @knotian: A "desktop computer" is such a device as well. And as long as there was some sort of "smart" electronics submerged in LEGO bricks (take the RCX as example) there was an external device necessary, to get it unfolding. Without computer, an RCX is dead dumb. The thing is, they shifted from "computer" (laptop, dektop) to "mobile device". Maby naturally - I sometimes ask myself: Who knows what a "desktop" is? Just forgetting that a 2018 Dell mobile workstation I am running is more or less the same - it is just mobile.

What I find irritating though is that the wonderful aps run on smart devices only, and there are two store varieties to get them from; either this or that, but not the other.

But this is as it is ... time runs fast. Things come and go. And: Get a BLE stack, install that on Win10, read the LEGO BLE documents and off you go. No firmware updates though ... it is all crazy. But then: This is also emerging technology as well. Who knows what is coming ...

Best
Thorsten

 

[dr_spock]

With apps + smart devices capable of phoning home to the mothership, the manufacturer can determine how many customers are still using the product and whether to continue support or new releases.  You couldn't get that kind insight with non-Internet connected remote like the PF remote. You know how many units you sold and if they are still selling.  You have no idea who using them, how often, where they are located, time spent, etc.

 

[Jundis]

As given on the Lego website: 5” display or larger <-- I hope this is a recommendation, not a requirement...? Sony Xperia Z3 compact-user here....