SMOK G-PRIV 4 Kit
There is a new G-Priv on the block! Si takes a closer look at the new Smok G-priv 4 with TFV18 Tank Kit
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by Si Davies
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Supplied by Sourcemore for review
https://www.sourcemore.com/smok-g-priv-4-kit.html
$53.19 Using Coupon Code: GP4K
Version four of the popular touchscreen G-Priv is upon us, this time around we get a new metal body and the cherry on top is the flavour and cloud giving TFV18 tank which feels like a major update in vape quality. Read on for more information.
- Mod Size 90*50.8*29mm
- Battery Dual 18650 batteries(not included)
- Power Range 5W-230W(VW)/10W-230W(TC)
- Temperature Range 100℃-315℃/200℉-600℉
- Charging Voltage 5V±0.2V
- Charging Current Max 2.0A
- Charging Type Type-C
- Tank Material Stainless Steel
- Tank Size 28*59mm
- Tank Capacity 6.5ml
- Thread 510
- Colour Black, Brown, Beige White, Grey, Red, Blue
Unboxing
The packaging feels a little déjà vu which isn’t a bad thing as Smok always use high quality boxes which protects everything well. The outer box displays your colour choice along with the specs, contents and authenticity checks.
The mod is held in the top layer with a blown-plastic tray, underneath that is the tank, documentation, and the accessories.
You get a spare 6.5ml glass, a second coil, a USB-C charging cable, and a bag of extra seals which give you a red colour option. The noticeable difference is the user manual; gone is the tree killer phone book as you now get a single language proper manual which appears to go into more detail.
First Impressions and Overview
Having owned the previous G-Priv 2 and 3, I kind of had high expectations which I don’t think the 4 met somehow; the main difference is the metal used in the construction which seems thinner but on the plus-side felt considerably lighter, the ergonomics were better though as the shape is sculpted well, and the leather grip adds to the grip.
The large touchscreen is one of the G-Priv 4’s best features and I’m glad to see that Smok haven’t messed with this too much, it’s still one of the best touchscreens I have tried and the easy locking controls make it very useful rather than a gimmick.
Smok have gone down the now common leather grip route, I’m kind of bored with leather now but it really adds to the comfort and makes it the most ergonomic G-Priv so far (but only if you are right-handed).
Another one of the G-Priv’s strong features is still there; the large fire bar which feels as good as ever with a nice responsive click which isn’t too hard on your fingers. The handy little button above it is very useful for quick locking/unlocking as well as being a screen on/off button.
A big change is the battery compartment, this time around Smok have gone with a bottom loading method with a door and spring loaded catch. The battery orientation markings are clear on the inside and on the door.
The finish on the metal appears to be plated rather than painted which will make it a bit more resilient, it has a semi-gloss/satin appearance which doesn’t quite match the tank on the silver version but not enough to be a distraction and didn’t bother my fussy OCD-ness.
I can’t stand the tank!
As in I cannot get it to balance and stand upright for the photos!
The TFV18 Mini tank is a mixed bag but would prove to be a BIG pro when it came down to vaping, more on that in the performance section, the construction felt like five years ago. There’s no plug ’n’ play coil fitting as it screws into the base.
As you can see; the tank strips down into minimum components due to it being a screw-fit coil so you will need to fully strip the tank when you need to change the coil, it does make it very easy to clean though, and with Smok’s latest coils, they now last a long time so it won’t be that often to become an annoyance.
This is how you will need to strip it to access the coil, it unscrews counter-clockwise and generally the glass will stay on the top, but it’s only held on by an O-ring so I would advise popping that off too and keeping it somewhere safe while you change the coil.
Smok have stuck to their swivel top-fill which I’m a fan of as it’s easy, secure and has plenty of access for most shortfill bottles, it’s one of the easiest and least messy tanks I’ve tried. Although the tank is quite old-school, it didn’t bother me so far BUT the drip-tip did! It is a proprietary sleeve fitting rather than a 810. Worse still, it’s as dull as dishwater, I always used to love Smok’s ‘Cobra’ style tips so this felt a let-down.
Screen and Controls
Smok have nailed the touchscreen controls, I simply cannot fault it as it makes changing any setting intuitive, fast, and actually rather pleasant. A good touchscreen needs an equally good locking method and Smok have nailed that too with the small button above the fire bar.
I’m not going to bloat out the review with all the controls, basically it’s unlock, see it, touch it, adjust and lock it. All the screens make sense and there’s nothing too risky to upset by playing around, but don’t mess or use TC if you are unfamiliar with it (Smok don’t supply TC compatible coils so you won’t need it with the TFV18 Mini tank).
The only physical button presses you will need are:
- 5 x FIRE = Turns device on/off (touchscreen confirmation)
- 3 x FIRE = Locks power (mod won’t fire)
- Press & hold Top Button = Locks/unlocks touchscreen
- 1 x Press Top Button = Turns on/off screen (mod still fires)
The rest is all done by touchscreen, but those few button presses are invaluable during normal use, turning off the screen will help with battery life, and the quick locks make it convenient for stashing it in your pocket/bag between vapes. I was going to say the ‘screen off’ helps make it stealthy but the huge clouds will ‘blow’ your cover.
Performance
I simply love it! The vape quality is just superb and gives a real high powered cloud lobbing flavourful vape, I can’t help but feel Smok have gone back to basics as ‘huge clouds’ were kind of their trademark but back in 2017 when I used a kit similar to this; the coils were dreadful and unpredictable but these days Smok’s coils are some of the best and last yonks.
The coils are the key to the TFV18 Mini’s performance, they are designed for high wattage vaping and the wicking ports are huge which saturates the wick quickly:
- V18 Mini Meshed 0.33ohm Coil (Preinstalled) 80W to 140W Best at 100W – 110W
- V18 Mini Dual Meshed 0.15ohm Coil 80W to 110W Best at 90W
The wattage range of both coils were a good guide but the ‘Best At’ was spot on and I found no need to venture above or below the recommended power, the flavour peaks around that and the warmth was in the goldilocks zone.
The simple difference between the two coils is clouds vs flavour; the dual coil 0.15ohm gives better flavour but less vapour production over the 0.33ohm, but I don’t think you can go wrong with either as the vape quality impressed me with both.
As for the actual ‘clouds’, the TFV18 Mini really belches big ones. I’m more a flavour over clouds vaper, but I really enjoyed the large clouds this kit produces yet it meets my flavour chasing needs, which is rare.
Using the G-Priv 4 mod felt as pleasurable and intuitive as the V3 which I already rated highly, but it felt better in the hand due to the leather and slightly better shape. The way the touchscreen and buttons are laid out makes it convenient for single handed operation as long as you're right-handed, left-handed users will find it frustrating though as your palm will be over the screen.
There’s a case of ‘less is more’ when it comes to the menus and controls as it felt like there was plenty of useful options but it is not overly bloated to make it complicated, even the TC mode was intuitive and all in one screen. The only thing I thought would have been beneficial for newer users is a ‘smart mode’ or on screen wattage range, but you can see the coil through the tank glass if you forget.
There was something I expected to hate but I ended up liking which was the drip-tip, it’s bland and smaller than the 810 tips I am used to for DL high wattage, but it ended up helping. It felt more comfortable and less like sucking air through a toilet roll inner (as you do!).
Conclusion
The G-Priv 4 is a mixed bag, there are things I wasn’t expecting to like, such as the old style tank construction, the proprietary drip-tip, and the cliché leather, but everything came together to make this the best high wattage Smok kit I have experienced, and the touchscreen is far from gimmicky as Smok have nailed the functionality of it.
But the main reason why the Smok G-Priv 4 turned out to be so good was the TFV18 Mini tank and coils, and this tank will immediately upgrade pretty much every Smok dual battery mod I own which makes me happy as I love most of them but rarely use them due to the outdated or unreliable tanks.
The bottom line is that the G-Priv 4 and TFV18 Mini kit is a proper high wattage DL vapers kit which will appeal to flavour and cloud chasers alike, the price is a bit of a bargain and a worthy upgrade to the V3.
Pros
- Intuitive and useful touchscreen
- Ergonomic
- Easy access locking options
- TFV18 coils are Smok’s best yet
- High vapour production
- Large airflow
- Weirdly good drip-tip
- Locking swivel top filling
- Un-bloated functionality
Cons
To be fair, any cons I can come up with are perhaps subjective so I will let you decide:
- Proprietary drip-tip
- Old style tank construction
Final Thoughts
As mentioned a few times, the TFV18 Mini tank made all the difference to make it a proper upgrade over the V3. I don’t think the V4 is as ‘posh’ as the V3 (or V2 for that matter), but if they bring out a ‘prism’ version, I will be on that like a tramp on chips!
If you like the looks/styling of the G-Priv 4 kit then I cannot see you being disappointed, the drip-tip might even surprise you as it did me.
Score: 9/10 – Cloud Nine
Si Davies
Reviewer at POTVMy background is Engineering and Professional Photography. Mostly from POTV users knowledge I learned so much about pretty much all styles of vaping and equipment, Cloud Chasing, Squonking, Mouth To Lung, Direct To Lung, Pods, Mechs, Rebuild-able tanks and atomisers etc, and have experience with many many devices and atomisers, it's become a hobby and enjoy trying out the latest gear. I like to think my reviews are plain speaking and informative without getting too technical, if I have to resort to reading the manual then I don't consider it user friendly!
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