Follow very swiftly on from their recent release of the Alien 220w box mod and TFV8 Baby tank, Smok have released their first touchscreen device in the form of the G Priv 220w Temperature Control mod, accompanied by their all new TFV8 Big Baby Tank.
So, are touchscreen vape mods the future of vaping hardware or are they just a passing gimmick!!?
What’s In The Box
- SMOK G Priv 220 Mod
- USB Cable
- User Manual
- TFV8 Big Baby Tank
- 1 x V8 Baby X4 Core (0.15ohm quadruple coils)(Pre-installed)
- 1 x V8 Baby T6 Core (0.20ohm sextuplet coils)
- 1 x V8 RBA
- 1 x Replacement Glass Tube
- 1 x Replacement Glass Tube for RBA
- 1 x 510 Drip Tip Adapter
- 1 x User Manual
- 1 x Allen Key
- 1 x Black Vape Band + 1 x Orange Vape Band
- 1 x Bag of Spares
Features
- SMOK G Priv 220 Mod
- Dimensions: 85mm x 58.5mm x 28mm (HxWxD)
- Wattage Output Range: 1 to 220W
- Standby Current: <650uA
- Resistance Range: 0.1Ω to 3.0Ω (VW) / 0.06Ω to 3.0Ω (TC)
- Temperature Range: 200°F – 600°F / 100°C – 315°C
- Supports Ni200 Nickel, Titanium, and Stainless Steel coils
- Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) Adjustments
- Large 2.4 Inch TFT Touch Screen
- User-Friendly Interface
- Stealth Firing Mechanism
- Magnetized Battery Cover
- Micro USB Port – Firmware Upgrades
- 510 Connection
- Weight: 202g
SMOK TFV8 Big Baby Tank
- Materials: Stainless Steel & Glass Construction
- Size: 24.5mm Diameter x 56mm High incl. Drip Tip
- Capacity: 5.0ml
- Connection: Standard 510 Threaded
Build Quality & Design
The main body of the SMOK G Priv 220 is constructed from a zinc alloy providing the mod with a nice weight to it in the hand.
At the top of the device there is a stainless steel 510 connection with a brass spring loaded centre pin.
On first use the 510 connection was tight and there was some residual swarf on the threading which felt as though sand had been put into the connection.
Following a quick clean with a cotton bud the 510 was restored to full working order with no further issues.
The front panel of the device is predominantly taken up by the 2.4inch TFT touchscreen and its outer housing, which slightly protrudes off the body of the mod.
When first turning on the device, the user will be presented with a splash screen which depicts a brief animated SMOK logo while the device boots up and after about 2 seconds this then jumps into the main display.
The display itself is relatively basic and provides nothing more than you would see on a more traditional styled device although this is presented in a slightly different manner.
Along the top of the screen there is the time, which can be set & adjusted in the settings menu, and also the battery level indicator.
Unfortunately the display does not identify which battery is which and only provides a general battery status.
Next are the Wattage and temperature display & adjustment on the touchscreen.
Here you can review and also adjust the wattage/temperature simply by touching on either the left or right hand side of the display.
The adjustment scrolls incredibly fast from the outset so you will need to have your wits about you when fine tuning your setting.
In wattage mode you can scroll all the way down to as low as 1.0w and all the way up to whopping 220w.
Temperature control covers 100°C to 315°C (200°F to 600°F). Its also possible to adjust wattage & temperature through the menu setting but we’ll cover this a little bit later in the review.
Next is the infamous puff counter, which we all know what it does but not actually quite sure why!!
And below this there is the Amps, Voltage and Ohms display. All of which have no user interaction on the main screen and are purely for display purposes only.
Back at the top of the screen there is a settings menu access button, located just below the time display, which will take you into the heart of the G Priv’s setup.
From here you can access the VW Mode, TC Mode, Puff Counter Menu and the general settings menu.
In the VW Mode menu there are just three adjustable settings comprising of ‘Effect’ which allows the adjustment of power to the atomizer in the form of Minimum, Soft, Normal & Hard.
Below this there is wattage adjustment which can be changed by either a sliding bar or ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons.
I found with using the bar it was difficult to set the exact wattage required so resorted to using the ‘+’ and ‘-‘ buttons for fine tuning. Below the wattage adjustment there is an ‘Activate’ button which allows VW Mode to be turned On and OFF.
The TC Mode menu comprises of the following adjustable settings:-
- Material
- Nickel
- Titanium
- Stainless
- Preheat
- 10w to 220w
- Adjust TCR
- Initial OHM
- Activate
- ON
- OFF
These are all relatively self-explanatory and similar to many other devices however, the Preheat setting is actually the power selection for TC Mode and not an initial preheat which applies extra power until the atomizer coil is up to operating temperature.
Puff Counter Menu:-
- Already (Number of Puffs Already taken)
- Max Puff (Option to set the maximum number of allowable puffs) (Setting the counter to ZERO allows unlimited puffs)
- Puffs Reset
Setting Menu:-
- UUID (Universal Unique Identifier)
- Model (Device type and Version Number)
- Screen Timeout (Adjustable from 10sec to 240sec)
- Time (Time and Date setting & adjustment)
- Factory Reset
And that pretty much covers the G Priv’s menu system so lets get back to the rest of the mod itself.
As with previous releases from SMOK, such as the H Priv, their trademark fire bar has been incorporated down one side of the G Priv. But it’s primary functions have been reduced to turning the device ON & OFF, locking the device and of course to FIRE the G Priv.
In addition to the fire bar, SMOK have introduced an additional button located just above it.
This can be operated to either lock the touchscreen and prevent accidental adjustment or turn off the touchscreen but still allow the mod to be used.
A very nice little feature in my book!!
At the back of the G Priv there is a large carbon fibre effect door which provides access to the mods battery compartment.
The door is secured in place by four good strength magnets which prevent any door rattle while keeping the dual 18650 batteries securely in place. 
The battery sled contains a dual 18650 bay with what appears to be gold plated copper contacts, battery ribbon and positive & negative symbols to indicate orientation of batteries.
The top battery contacts are both spring loaded to ensure secure positioning and a good contact with both batteries.
On the base of the SMOK G Priv you will find six elongated vent holes and a micro USB connection for firmware upgrades.
The SMOK TFV8 Big Baby Tank
The Smok TFV8 Big Baby Tank is, for all intent and purpose, a scaled up version of the TFV8 Baby tank with the main difference being tank capacity. 5ml on the Big Baby and 3ml on the Baby Tank.
The Big Baby also incorporates top filling through the swivel top cap which contains a non-standard black Delrin wide bore drip tip.
SMOK have included an adaptor so that you can also use traditional 510 compatible drip tips.
The Big Baby utilises the same stock coils as its smaller sibling.
And as an added bonus SMOK have included a dual coil RBA deck, allowing you to build your own preferred setup.
This is an excellent addition and personally I think more tank manufacturers should provide this feature with their RTA’s. Not everyone wants to vape below 0.5ohms.
One thing to point out when using the RBA deck is that the glass section of the tank will need to be swapped out for the slightly taller glass tank included in the kit to accommodate the RBA’s extra height.
At the base of the tank is the adjustable airflow ring which comprises of two air slot on opposite side of the tank.
These measure approximately 16mm x 2mm each and provide an extremely airy draw more suited to a direct lung style of vaping.
The AFC ring can be rotated very easily and will remain in the desire position of your choice.
Finally, on the base of the SMOK TFV8 Big Baby there is the standard 510 threaded connection which has a non-protruding, non-adjustable silver plated centre pin.
How Does The SMOK G Priv & TFV8 Big Baby Tank Perform?
Overall, performance of the SMOK G Priv Kit was extremely good however I would put that down primarily to the performance of the TFV8 Big Baby Tank which was exceptionally good.
In general I had no user issues with the G Priv or the Big Baby Tank.
Taking into account the touchscreen I would say that battery life was typical for a device of this but this will be very much dependent on your preferred wattage and the stock coil rating which is anywhere between 20w and 130w.
On average I was getting roughly half a day’s usage out of your batteries.
With regards to the TFV8 Big Baby tank, this was an absolute delight to use.
It produced exceptionally good flavour and if clouds are your thing then it’s very capable at producing those too.
It’s also simple to use and fill and most importantly easy to clean.
What I Liked
I enjoyed using the G Priv & Big Baby Tank. It was easy to setup and use. Menu navigation was intuitive making it simple to switch between different modes.
Refilling the TFV8 Big Baby tank, like its smaller sibling, could be achieved easily and very quickly with little or no mess involved.
No leaking and more importantly no spit-back from any of the stock coils or RBA deck.
Aesthetically, the G Priv and the Big Baby tank make for a great looking combination.
What I Dislike
My first issue with the G Priv is its menu system and User Interface. I get the distinct feeling that it was rushed.
While the overall appearance is polished and looks stylish there are a number of instances where the interface provides popup windows which are very reminiscent of a very old version of MS Windows.
These look somewhat out of place on the G Priv and suggest that the menu graphics were possibly rushed to get the device onto the market.
My second issue with the G Priv is that I noticed on a couple of occasions when changing the batteries out for a fresh pair the display would lock and start to flicker and could only be fixed by removing and reinstalling the batteries.
This is probably a small glitch in the firmware but pretty annoying to say the least.
Overall, I think SMOK may have missed a few opportunities with their touchscreen device which personally I would have liked to have seen in the G Priv from the start.
Customisation of the user interface would have been good, allowing the user to change colour themes and possibly upload wallpapers/background images.
Battery identification on the touchscreen display would have also been useful as would an ohm lock option on the main display screen.
I guess SMOK needed to start somewhere with their first touchscreen device and it was a good start.
Hopefully we will see the firmware develop of the course of time to incorporate some great new features.
Final Review Verdict
A good kit from SMOK slightly let down by a rushed Touchscreen User Interface and firmware bugs!
Pros
- The SMOK G Priv / TFV8 Big Baby tank look great as a pair
- Great Performance
- No leaking or spitback from the stock coils or RBA
- Upgradable Firmware
Cons
- Firmware Bugs
