GAN 356 i Carry S Smart Speed Cube

Hidden inside this 3x3 speed cube is a Bluetooth connection that reports every turn to a phone app, so the cube itself becomes the timer. The GAN 356 i Carry S tracks move count, turns per second, the algorithms used and how long each solve took, with no keyboard or stackmat needed.

For a beginner, the app has video tutorials and a 7-step solving method, so it can teach someone their first solve and then show exactly where they slow down. For a teen already chasing times, there’s live competition against friends or players at a similar level anywhere in the world, plus cube duels and timing contests.

Even with 48 magnets and the electronics inside, it weighs about 81 grams, and GAN includes extra springs and nuts for tuning how the turning feels. There’s nothing to charge: two LR44 button batteries, included, run it for about 330 hours. The box also has a carrying pouch, a user manual and tutorials. To wake it up the first time, you spin the white face a full 360 degrees in the same direction within three seconds.

The catch: the smart features live in the app, so without a phone nearby it’s just a nice magnetic cube. And when those button batteries finally run out, he’ll need replacements on hand.