i just had this thought
dewbot, x-bot 360, the phone and pretty much the whole real gear line
would their "birth" from the allspark radiation give them the power to scan and choose new altmodes?

this thought came to me when i figured a mini combiner out office equipment would be cool

let us discuss this

 

I dont think they would be able to as the other robots had to scan earth modes because they were in their protoform bodies. The Real Gears didnt start with protoforms; they were earth equipment to start with so they shouldnt have the scan ability.

 

^^^^^Only problem with that is Bumblebee scanned a new disguise at will during the "Camero Commercial" scene and he wasn't in the Protoform stage...though it could be only some Transformers have this ability (BB being a spy, he could be equipped with such abilities)

 

I'd think ALL Transformers have the ability to scan one form when they're on a planet like Earth, then be able to scan another later on. Look at Bumblebee and Frenzy... Bumblebee went from a '70s Camaro to the concept Camaro, and Frenzy went from a CD boombox to a cell phone.

 

Their not really stuck to what ever their first scan was, concerning form. As long as the form can accomodate their size they can change their 'skin' when ever they want or need. As put rather simply in the Prequal comic, they are mimics.