There are 26 pieces, plus the core in a Rubik’s cube. Twelve of those pieces are edge pieces, six are center pieces, and eight are edge pieces. Each one of those pieces is connected, either directly or indirectly, to a core at the center of the cube. Corner and edge pieces have parts of them that reach into the core and fit into one another, but center pieces are a bit different. They are connected to the core via an axle, and turning that axle is what turns the cube. Most cubes have springs to determine how far the center pieces are from the core. When the center pieces are farther from the core, the cube is looser, and when it is closer to the core, the cube is tighter. Loose cubes can corner cut better, meaning they can turn when the pieces aren’t fully aligned with one another. However, loosening your cube will make it more vulnerable to pops. It will also lead the cube to speed up, which can be bad in certain instances, as you can lose control when turning it and make unnecessary turns.
At first, Rubik’s Cubes weren’t great to turn. They were clunky, and the earliest speedcubers adapted by developing wrist-turning techniques, as opposed to the finger turns commonly seen in speedcubing nowadays. However, things would soon change. Chinese companies entered the market in the 2000s, and soon, the first speedcubes were created. Cubes were made to be able to corner cut, as well as reverse corner cut, which is like corner cutting but in the opposite direction. In the 2010s, the first mechanisms were created to prevent cubes from popping. A big leap came in the form of magnetized cubes, which allowed for better alignment of layers. In recent years, manufacturers have focused less on the performance of cubes and more on their adjustability, as different cubers all have different preferences when it comes to magnet strength and springs. In the late 2010s, companies like MoYu and GAN independently came up with advanced spring compression systems, and their cubes also let cubers insert their own magnets. Most recently, the scene has seen the development of Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) cubes, where instead of springs, how far the center pieces are from the core are determined by two repelling magnets. This allows for faster and smoother turning. It seems as though cubing technology has come a long way in the last 40 years!