kbalage

And again, all I can say is that you shouldn't make assumptions and accusations based only on your own experiences when you don't know how things works with other people. Maybe others receive lot more offers than you, or similar sized sets from different themes, etc. I have received many generic sized packages, including 1-2 sets that could have been any of the previous offers. Sometimes the sets come in the order of the offers, but sometimes they don't, I was surprised a couple of times in the past. A few other sets have an earlier embargo, but from that batch I will begin with the bulldozer for sure.

There is actually a bit more to this than you are trying to suggest, maybe you could think about the possible circumstances before you call someone a liar. When we accept review offers, we have the set numbers listed, but when the packages are shipped, there is no information about the actual contents of each package, at least if you're in Europe. There are other regions of the world where additional shipping documents are required which might reveal the set numbers inside. So if you have multiple "active" review offers that have not been shipped, you won't know exactly which sets are in the package. You can of course make guesses based on the size of the box and the weight, but you won't know for sure. I was expecting the June Technic sets and two batches of City sets for this week, and received a delivery with one box, then another with two boxes. To my surprise, the first delivery contained half of the City sets, the second delivery contained the Technic sets and the second batch of City sets. I don't make unboxing videos like this, but I could have been really surprised at the first box.

@HydroWorld Outlook I don't think that wireless components are really the future of LEGO Technic, because they create far more problems than they solve. The parts in the Education set last about a day on a single charge, and they seem to be designed for low power applications. Imagine a standard small scale Technic car having only two motors, and even that has to be designed with a proper access to both of them to be charged. Motors with integrated batteries are inevitably bulkier than today's, and even if we gain some space by not having a central power source, I'm not sure that's the best direction. Not to mention more complex models with e.g. 4-5 motors and lights, each consuming a different amount of energy and therefore likely to run out of power at different times, that would be a real pain to manage. But you are right, this probably belongs more to the Speculation or the Powered Up topic, happy to continue the discussion there.

If you watched my videos, you should have identified another person a long time ago I wouldn't mind proprietary batteries, until they use the same slot as the AA/AAA cartridge and they are interchangeable. I don't think a non-removable battery is the way to go for LEGO, but there are other recent examples that are not promising either. The AIO Hub of the Technic Porsche set has a removeable rechargeable battery, but LEGO won't sell it separately, and you won't get this form factor from anyone else.

I'm not sure we will ever see these elements being implemented in consumer LEGO themes. They are purpose-built, and the whole concept relies on simple applications where the parts are not integrated into bigger builds. They don't have any app connection or coding ability, you cannot modify the behavior, they rely on color cards to perform hard coded actions. The sensor and the USB port needs to be accessible all the time, which means you cannot bury a motor in your build. I wonder if the physical remote offers proportional controls, that can be the only advantage over the current Powered Up remote, but there's no use of it if it only works with this hardware.

Interesting, thanks for the details! I guess we'll have to wait for more official information. If the batteries aren't replaceable, that's a pretty unique situation. I mean, the rechargeable Power Functions battery box was similar, but having multiple different components with non-replaceable batteries doesn't seem like the most future-proof approach and a lot more possibility of failure. Most people worry about the software, this will be something else.

Where did you find more photos of them?

I'm still unsure about this concept, especially in a classroom. Can the batteries be removed and charged separately? Can they be replaced? Imagine a classroom where you have to make sure 4 devices per student are properly charged instead of just one, and you probably can't even quick-swap them. Scheduled for August, will try to get them after that.

It seems to be a translation error only, the English sites have a different description, not mentioning the rechargeable battery. I think it was simply copy-pasted incorrectly from the Lamborghini's description. Additionally, as @Oh_Hi_Mao highlighted, there's the text on the front of the box - "batteries not included".

Based on the photos it definitely looks like a sticker.

It seems to be a copy-paste mistake from the description of 42214, that one really has a rechargeable battery.

I only found this section, it doesn't mention rechargeable - "Includes a battery powered motor – This set comes with a battery powered motor to power the LEGO® toy excavator"

They are not selling anything, if you check the products everything is out of stock. The best app to use at the moment is Brickcontroller2 I guess.

So you're saying I did LEGO a favor with this? Oops...

Breaking news - The LEGO Group has announced the return of LEGO Racers (basic builds, high-speed play for kids) and LEGO Ready (premium, pre-assembled models for adults). These two themes replace LEGO Technic, responding to the market trend for simpler play and effortless display. Launching Fall 2025. Full press release here - https://bit.ly/4lbr5xZ

Maybe you have different expectations than the average customer, especially kids. As one of the aforementioned Youtubers, I can tell you that my videos and articles about the Defender's gearbox were (and probably still are) the most commented on, with literally hundreds of people sharing their frustration with the dysfunctional gearbox, even many years after the release. The concept was impressive, but that set simply pushed the plastic too far, and the end result was unreliable. You can build it to work (if you're lucky), but within a couple weeks you're guaranteed to run into problems. Especially if you're a kid, and try to play with it and push the car in different gears to see the effect of the gearbox. For me, this is definitely not flagship material. The G500, on the other hand, has learned its lesson, removed the unnecessarily complex gearbox and added a bunch of (well-functioning) features instead. Is that the flagship of 2024? Maybe not, but given the slow but steady transformation of the theme from Technic to Racers, I don't expect there to be dedicated flagship sets anymore.

I really wonder in what aspect the Defender surpasses the G Wagen. Having a more complicated gearbox that does not work properly is not really an advantage :)

Lol, my bad... Note to self - avoid Eurobricks if you didn't sleep enough :D Anyway, the description didn't mention anything related to RC, I suppose that would be one of the highlights of the set. But I guess we'll have to wait a bit more to figure out the details.

Did LEGO ever produce anything RC with a fake engine?

Based on their description 42214 supposed to have a "V12 engine with moving pistons, functional steering and smoothly opening scissor doors". This rules out remote control, so the next big question - will it really have 1135 pieces for $180?

You mean 42182? That's the set I was referring to :) Apparently the official collaboration with Lunar Outpost is confirmed by LEGO, I wonder if they'll have something for City, too.

I was hoping for a generic / fantasy space rover to join the ones we had last year, but there's actually a company called Lunar Outpost and they have this vehicle. I guess we'll see the return of the Apollo LRV wheels.

If it is RC and a sports car it will have zero suspension for sure

I think the biggest challenge is to route the bottom steering/servo output to rotate the superstructure. The side outputs are in a good position to drive the tracks, and for the superstructure it is fairly straightforward to route the 2 rear outputs on the two sides next to the hub to have 3 parallel outputs on the other side.

TLG couldn't care less about MOCs :) They will certainly use an existing licensing deal and will produce a car they think sells the best.