Gancube

GANCUBE

Industry	Technology
Founded	2014
Founder	Jiang Ganyuan
Headquarters	Guangzhou, China
Products	Speedcubes
Website	https://www.gancube.com/

GANCUBE, or GAN, is a brand that produces high-quality Rubik's cubes for speedcubing. Guangzhou Ganyuan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., the parent company for GAN and other brands, like Monster Go and Swift Block, is based in Guangzhou, China. GAN was founded in 2014 in Guangzhou, China by Jiang Ganyuan. GAN is recognized by enthusiasts as the "Apple of Speedcubes".^[1][2][3]

Jiang Ganyuan's interest in Rubik's cubes began in 1998 while studying Civil Engineering at Tongji University when he received one as a gift from his father.^[3] A few days later, he was able to solve it using an English manual.^[4]

In 2006, Ganyuan became China's first national champion in a speedcubing competition. A few years later, he became the cofounder of GuoJia, the first non-Rubik's DIY brand of cubes.^[5] However, due to unknown reasons, the company closed down.^[4]

In 2014, he founded the Guangzhou Ganyuan Intelligent Technology Company. And started the GANCUBE brand, that would specialize in producing speed cubes.^[6][4][7]

In 2016, GANCUBE released the GAN356Air UM, the first cube to mass produced with magnets preinstalled in their edge and corner pieces to improve stability and speed.^[8]

In 2017, GAN created the GAN356 X, the first cube to have adjustable magnets. The GAN Magnetic System (GMS) in the GAN356 X used interchangeable magnet capsules and allowed the user to switch between Strong, Medium, and Weak, and Null magnet strengths. GAN has created various other systems for magnet adjustment, with the GAN356 XS featuring movable edge magnets, and the GAN11 M Pro with movable and swappable corner magnets.

In 2020, Omnidirectional Core Positioning Magnetic Technology was introduced with the GAN11 M Pro, which included magnets not only between the corner and edge pieces, but also between the core and corners. The system uses 8 magnets in the core which are attracted to the magnets placed on the foot of the corner pieces to create a more gradual magnetic pull on each turn. Moving the magnetic pull further into the cube improved stability and helped create a smooth and consistent feel.^[8]

In 2021, the GAN12 Maglev was released, and was the first mass produced cube to use magnetic levitation (Maglev) technology. Replacing the springs found in previous releases with sets of repelling ring-shaped magnets allowed the cube to turn with much less friction.^[8]

In 2022, the GAN13 Maglev added magnets in the edge pieces which repel with the 8 core magnets. These magnets push the layers out of the partially turned state, creating an effect of auto-alignment. This feature is not present on the GAN15 Maglev^[8]

GAN launched the GAN356 i Bluetooth, their first smart cube, in 2018. Using various sensors, the GAN356 i tracked turns and rotations performed on the cube in real time. GAN has since released several other smart cubes, with improved tracking, adjustment features, convenience, and battery life.^[7] GAN's smart cubes can be connected via Bluetooth to the Cube Station smartphone app, which can display statistics, such as turns per second, rotations, and move count. This feedback can be helpful for users who wish to improve their technique and speed.^[3][4]

Through the app, interactive tutorials to learn how to solve the cube are offered. In these tutorials, difficult steps are divided into simple steps to make the fundamentals more approachable for beginners.^[3]

According to the Tech Media Platform KrASIA, GANCUBE has faced allegations of counterfeiting, plagiarism, and IP violations.^[4]

Cornelius Dieckmann is a German speedcuber that was sponsored by GANCUBE. His contract was terminated by GAN in 2019. GAN did not give the specific reason for this termination; however, it happened after he posted his political opinion on the relation between China and Taiwan on Facebook.^[9]