MobiBlu's original Cube wowed us all with its 1-inch-cube dimensions and its copious audio features. In the fall of 2005, it was the smallest MP3 player in the world. Now comes the Cube2, which MobiBlu claims is the world's smallest media player. Available in blue, silver, black, and pink, the little guy boasts a full-color screen and adds photo and video playback to the mix. It's not perfect, but the Cube2 is definitely charming enough to overcome its shortcomings.
This 1x1x1-inch cube of a media player will kick-start any conversation. So what's that on the 0.6-inch (diagonal) screen? It's a MobiBlu promotional video.
On the exterior, the Cube2 is much more refined than its predecessor. Corners are soft rather than sharp, and the lanyard loop doesn't protrude out the top. The buttons are made of tactile rubber, and of course, the new version features a 65,000-color OLED screen.
The Cube2 is designed to be worn. The included lanyard-earphone combo is actually pretty stylish, though you can substitute your own pair of headphones.
While the Apple iPod Shuffle at $79 would make a nice stocking stuffer, the Cube2 (1GB, $100; 2GB, $120 at launch) would probably steal the Shuffle's thunder.
The blue 2GB Cube2 next to the 8GB iPod Nano. The Cube2 is more than four times as thick as the Nano. It would be nice to get a 4GB (or higher) option. Note that photos and videos get chopped into a square aspect ratio.
Transfer songs and recharge the Cube2 via the headphone jack. You get a special USB-to-mini-jack cable in the package. Battery life is rated for a subpar 10 hours for audio.
