The Technic Hub is the middle sized hub between the 2-port Train hub 88009 and the 6-port Spike Prime hub (in an educational set and soon in a consumer set). Like its Power Functions predecessor it takes 6x AA batteries. This hub includes the controls for 4 motors or lights, but it needs a phone or tablet to control it. As such it replaces £28.50 of value (2x IR Receivers and battery) in the one device, but the price of £75 is a lot more. As the 2-port hub and Boost hub 88006 (2 ports and 2 integral motors) were released earlier I was expecting this one for £60, so its price is too high relative to the others. I can only speculate that they don't want to sell many of them, and would rather sell the sets that contain them.
The sets including this hub are:
The Top Gear Car 42109, with 1 medium motor and 1 large motor;
The 4x4 X-treme Off-Roader 42099 with 1 medium motor and 2 large motors;
The 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler 42114 with 1 medium motor, 1 large motor and 1 right-angle motor; and
The Liebherr R 9800 Excavator with 2 hubs, 4 medium motors and 3 large motors.
As a purchasing strategy I would consider what sort of models I wanted to make and select the set accordingly, to provide the right number of hubs and motors, rather than buying the 4-port hub on its own.
One major criticism I have of this hub, in function and usefulness, is that it cannot be used with the Remote Handset 88010 unless a phone program or 3rd-party computer-based software is also in use. I had hoped that this hub could be synchronised with 2x 88010 handsets to make an ordinary remote-controlled vehicle. For the Top Gear car 42109 it makes perfect sense, since the handset can rotate a dial 90 degrees for the steering function. Why was this missed? Could it be rectified with a firmware update to the hub? This really drops this hub down the list for me, so I prefer the 2-port hub that uses the handset without extra effort or complexity, even for Technic models. The 4-port hub is missing an essential attribute here, one that ruins its play experience. I would settle for a handset controlling ports A and B if nothing else could be done. I find phone-screen controls imprecise by comparison to the handset 88010.
A further problem for the 4-port hub is that there is not yet a LiPo battery for it. The 6-port hub comes with a LiPo battery that can be recharged many times. AA batteries are not sustainable, especially for high use, motor applications and exhibition of models. I prefer the Power Functions LiPo battery 8878 and the lack of one for Powered-Up 4-port and 2-port hubs makes me reluctant to switch over and reluctant to buy the Powered-Up hubs and the sets that contain them. Please hurry up and give us those LiPo inserts for the the hubs.
The 4-port hub has integral brackets for strong mounting. This works well in the sets that use the hub. However, it makes the size 9x9x5, which rules it out of use in small models, including trains. 7x11x5 could have been hidden more easily if the brackets had been on the ends, as they are for the Power Functions AA battery unit. Some models use a build-around-the-hub style, which is not as versatile as one can do with Power Functions. This may lose some of the key attribute of the LEGO System.
For general model building with this hub, I would check the sets that use the hub, pick the one closest to my model, and follow the same pattern of port usage. That way you can use the app for the set for your own model and gain more functionality, especially in instant-use mode. Any turret vehicle would follow the pattern of 42100, using ports A and B of hub 1 for tracks, port D of hub 1 to turn the turret, and the 4 ports of hub 2 for turret functions.
For railway points and crossing control I might use a 2-port hub to control 2 devices; it would manage being remote without long wires, compared to a 12V, 9V or Power functions solution with a panel of switches. I would hesitate to use a 4-port hub though that would be possible if 4 devices were within reach. The Powered-Up system has longer motor cables but no extension cables; I really want an extension cable before I would invest heavily in this system. I did buy a lot of extension cables for Power Functions because they can be cut and a custom electronic module connected in the middle. This type of experimentation is essential to build engineers. Users miss some education if they stick to just plug-and-play products.
So overall I prefer the 2-port hub over the 4-port hub, though both hubs need the promised LiPo inserts for sustainability. I prefer the simplicity and versatility of Power Functions, and also its backward compatibility with 9V. Some improvements are needed for me to invest more in Powered-Up. If you like programming then go for the 6-port hub when the set is released.
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