The Pocket Cube (also known as the Mini Cube) is the 2×2×2 equivalent of a Rubik's Cube. The cube consists of 8 pieces, all corners.
In March 1970, Larry D. Nichols invented a 2×2×2 'Puzzle with Pieces Rotatable in Groups' and filed a Canadian patent application for it. Nichols's cube was held together with magnets. Nichols was granted U.S. Patent 3,655,201 on April 11, 1972, two years before Rubik invented his Cube.
Nichols assigned his patent to his employer Moleculon Research Corp., which sued Ideal in 1982. In 1984, Ideal lost the patent infringement suit and appealed. In 1986, the appeals court affirmed the judgment that Rubik's 2×2×2 Pocket Cube infringed Nichols's patent, but overturned the judgment on Rubik's 3×3×3 Cube.
The world record fastest solve is 0.49 seconds, set by Maciej Czapiewski of Poland on 20 March 2016 at Grudziądz Open 2016 in Grudziądz, Poland.
The world record average of 5 solves (excluding fastest and slowest) is 1.05 seconds, set by Zayn Khanani of The United States on 31 October 2021 at the Finnish Championship 2021, in Kirkkonummi, Finland, with the times 1.07, (1.77), 1.08, 1.01 and (0.88) seconds.