QiYi Ice Amber Mirror

QiYi Ice Amber Mirror

QiYi Ice Amber Mirror is a Mirror Cube, a 3x3-based shape mod from the Ice Amber series. This version has no stickers. The body is made of clear plastic with an ice effect, and it's covered with transparent tiles in a cool blue shade. It looks completely different from the classic Mirror with silver or gold stickers, and there's nothing to scratch off or peel away.

How the Mirror Cube works

The mechanism is the same as in a regular 3x3 cube. The difference is that every piece has a different thickness, so after a few moves the cube changes shape and turns into a block with irregular sides. All sides are the same colour, so you solve it by the shape and height of the pieces, not by colours. If you can solve a 3x3 with any method, you already know all the algorithms you need. The challenge is recognising the pieces. You need to look carefully to see which corner or edge goes where, and on the last layer it sometimes helps to check with your fingers whether the surfaces have lined up.

Build quality and turning

The tiles are set into the surface, so the coloured areas don't wear out the way stickers do. According to customer reviews, the cube turns smoothly and corner cutting is better than in regular stickered versions of the Mirror. It's a cube without magnets, so the turning is looser and less controlled than in magnetic 3x3 cubes. For casual shape mod solving, that's perfectly fine. Some users note that the screw caps on the centres pop out easily, so it's best not to pry them off unless you need to.

Who is it for?

For anyone who can already solve a classic 3x3 cube and is looking for their first shape mod. The Mirror is one of the most frequently recommended shape mods to start with. The Ice Amber Mirror is also a good choice for collectors, as it looks great next to other cubes from this series. It's not a cube for setting fast times, but for relaxed solving and practising piece recognition.

Specifications

• Type: Mirror Cube, 3x3-based shape mod
• Manufacturer: QiYi
• Series: Ice Amber
• Finish: tiled (tiles instead of stickers), transparent body
• Colour: transparent, blue tint
• Magnets: none
• Size: approx. 60 mm