Future products will activate the sensors.
The initial Lego Smart Brick sets, themed around Star Wars, are not entirely what my kids and I anticipated, likely due to programming issues. These sets also have technical limitations, as several sensors are not enabled, including a microphone, ambient light sensor, fine distance measurement, position, and orientation.
“There are additional sensors that will be enabled with future products,” according to Lego Smart Brick sound designer Elysha Zaide. A software update could unlock these features, as the Lego Smart Brick app indicates that the microphone is disabled until further updates.
Some sensors on the Smart Bricks are operational. The NFC reader detects nearby Smart Tiles through multiple Lego plates, and motion sensing is used in most interactions. The color sensor identifies red, green, and blue objects when the LED is on. Furthermore, when a starfighter or turret fires, others register a “hit” and can “explode.”
Currently, this is the only multi-brick interaction, as confirmed by Lego’s Jack Rankin. Demos at CES showcased wireless connections between bricks for shared colors, synchronized sounds, and games.
The Lego app also highlights how the Smart Brick conserves its small battery, offering about 45 minutes of use and auto-sleep functionality. A deep sleep mode activates after 13 hours of inactivity, requiring the brick to sit on a wireless charger to wake.
The batteries are small at 45mAh, compared to a Samsung Galaxy S25’s 4,000mAh, and cannot be replaced by users. Disassembling the Smart Brick could damage it, so disposal instructions advise against placing it in regular trash.
For more insights into the Smart Brick, check out StoneWars X-rays and Martin Ruszkiewicz’s discovery on cloning Lego’s NFC-based Smart Tags, explained on GitHub.