tl;dr: It's definitely worth the money. It’s only 10 dollars more than the GAN12 ui Free Play, and, in my opinion, you get more than 10 dollars of features. If you have the budget, get it (otherwise the newest i Carry is pretty great too, for it’s price). It’s the latest, and in my opinion, definitely the greatest.

Here is the instruction manual in case you want to take a look: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mf-F2cyXV16Zd4OWmnLSSc2oGjvRSwJ1/view

To start, I would like to say that you should NOT buy the GAN12 ui Free Play. If you are already spending $110+ on a smart cube, most likely an extra $10 won’t hurt and you would be getting a cube that’s miles better. I’ve also purchased this cube when it was still a China-exclusive release, so I’m not sure if anything has changed when they brought this to overseas distribution channels. Also, the images referenced can be found at the bottoom of this review, and a video review will also be linked below.

I would also like to say that in it’s current state, the new app (CubeStation V5) is a mess. They’re having their Sonos moment now I guess haha, but I’m putting my trust in GAN to get the app fixed. Cubeast is a good alternative for the time being, if you aren’t interested in the competition aspect of CubeStation.

The packaging for the new GAN12 ui Maglev is larger than GAN’s normal cube boxes, but smaller compared to the GAN12 ui Free Play box. This is because the new PowerPod included with the GAN12 ui Maglev is slightly smaller in length and in depth, but retains the same height as the Freeplay PowerPod. This new PowerPod has the same plastic texture and material as Apple AirPods cases, and even the indicator light and the “easy-opening gap” on the PowerPods and the AirPods case are extremely similar (see images below). The new PowerPod is also magnetically closed, compared to the physical latch on the Freeplay PowerPod.

In the box, the cube comes with a collectors card, a USB-C cable, all of the usual manuals and pamphlets, as well as a black GAN bag. GAN seems to have taken a mix-and-match approach for the adjustment system, combining elements from the GAN12 and GAN14 adjustment systems. A GAN14 Maglev Pro-style centercap remover (because this cube uses the newer caps), a GAN14-style adjustment tool (the “GAN Fire Hydrant”), and a GAN12 Magnet box containing the extra interchangable corner magnet stems and a GAN13-style adjustment tool (the “GAN sword”) are all included.

The cube’s robot caps are also different (see images below). These new caps seem to hint at a new GAN Robot V3 redesign, as these current caps aren’t compatible with the GAN Robot V1 or V2. The divets in the center cap on the yellow side are actually holes that go through the center cap, to allow the charging pins of the PowerPod to reach down into the core.

The cube feels quite sandy and loose right out of the box, with a bit of a crunchy feel. It's extremely light, weighing in at 69 grams, similar to the GAN12 ui Freeplay. The turning experience is smooth, with good corner cutting—45+ degrees forward and line-to-line reverse on most tensions. The auto-alignment feature is present but less aggressive. If you have a standard GAN12 Maglev, it will feel extremely similar. The cube's lightweight and forgiving nature make it a pleasure to use, although I might add some slow lube to control its speed.

Comparing the GAN12 ui Maglev to the GAN12 UI Freeplay, I found the piece design to be virtually identical, with the Maglev having slightly larger torpedos. The core is a bit smaller on the Maglev, but they are extremely similar. As you can see from the partially disassembled images, the core has a transparent shell covering it with the corner-to-core magnets embedded in the shell. The Maglev version retains the standard GAN12 magnet adjustment system but includes the newer magnetic GES V2 found in the GAN14. Adjusting the tension and axis distance is straightforward, just like in all modern GAN flagships.

Overall, really enjoying this cube. It’s 100% worth the money. Honestly, I would totally just use this cube as a regular speedcube and be totally happy with it.

Thank you for reading this review!

I've been using the QiYi smart cube, and it's good for competing but lacks alot else where. And has a tendency to lock up more than I'm used to. I actually ordered the 12 UI Maglev and the 12 Maglev as well. And both turn great. Did a mild FZ set up. I don't want to go to heavy lubing a smart cube, especially since it was more expensive than any other cube I own. Haven't tried the extra magnets, but currently using the lighter magnets on the stronger setting. Ranking Silver 1. So that's probably not great. I mainly ordered because Cubestation has an Alg trainer. Hopefully gonna help me shave some time off my 27.733 second PB. I've already gotten a 28.3 with less than 20 solves. I can tell this is gonna be a great smart cube. So excited to explore this more.

I think the cube is relly good but the cube station app is bad.

smooth does not bind always in a cube magnets always spot on. i like it, it has come a long way

It is a pretty good cube. Still I’ve noticed the cube still can’t compare to the Gan 12 Maglev. Putting a slowing lube on it will help but it is super fast and the core magnetic alignment just can’t compare to the Gan 12. But it is still an amazing cube and if I didn’t have the Gan 12 Maglev I wouldn’t notice the issues! For the tech inside this cube it is as good as can be.