Uwell Caliburn AK2 (KOKO V2) Review: Better Than the Caliburn A2?

Product intro and specs

The Uwell AK2 is the latest entry in the KOKO line of pod vapes, a line that has been somewhat of a companion of the Caliburn line since the original appeared in 2018. Each Caliburn had its KOKO equivalent, and with the A2 coming out a couple of months ago, it was time for a new KOKO to enter the market.

The AK2 comes in the signature KOKO square shape and takes the same 2 mL pods as the Caliburn A2. It houses a 520 mAh battery and, unlike the A2, doesn’t have a button but it’s draw-activated instead.

I’ll admit that I’ve never tried the previous KOKO vapes, but from what I remember, people used to say that they vaped the same way as their Caliburn equivalents. If that’s the case, then the AK2 is a different story. There are a lot of similarities on the spec sheet, but the AK2 sure doesn’t vape the exact same way as the A2. Keep reading to find out more.

Price: $17.99 (at Element Vape)

Colors: Neon orange, turquoise blue, classic black, graphite gray.

Build quality and design

The KOKO line trades the long slender shape of the Caliburn for a more compact square shape. The AK2 also takes some design queues from the Caliburn A2 and looks sleeker and more modern compared to previous KOKOs. Think of it as a smoother and rounded-off original KOKO, or as a more “serious” and hard-lined KOKO Prime. And at 35 grams—around the same weight as the A2—you’ll barely feel it in your pocket.

The AK2 comes in four color options. I received the “neon orange” edition, and while orange is not my color, I love it on the KOKO V2. It looks like a clean metallic orange from a distance, but you can see the branding when light is reflected on it. And if you look closer, there’s a set of coordinates printed at the top of the front of the device: 113.843 °N – 22.601 °E. I don’t know much about coordinates, but I had to check, and I believe they have longitude and latitude the other way round and they meant to point to the Bao’an district in Shenzhen, China.

Like the A2, the AK2 features a juice window that is only visible from the front side. While I’d prefer the window to be visible on both sides for practical reasons, I can see why they went with that from a design perspective—it would have taken away some of the sexiness. That said, I’ll still include this in my (short) list of cons.

Other than that, the device is compatible with the latest Caliburn pods that come with a smoother and more comfortable mouthpiece and has a hole for a lanyard at the opposite side of the pod. I’m not big on lanyards, but the one included in the package feels high-quality, and it’s nice to fiddle with for sure.

Getting started

Performance

The AK2 uses the same 0.9-ohm pods as the A2. You can learn more about performance and coil life by visiting the performance section of the A2 review. But as I mentioned in the intro, the AK2 does not vape the exact same way as the A2. I really liked the fact that the A2 could be vaped in two similar but distinct ways depending on how you choose to use it, i.e., button or auto-draw mode. Due to the lack of a button on the AK2, I was expecting it to vape the same way as the A2 in auto-draw mode. And to be honest, I wouldn’t have liked that, as I preferred using the A2 with the button and found its auto-draw to be a bit too loose for my liking, due to the inconsistency of the sensor.

Luckily for me, the experience I got on the default mode of the AK2 falls right between the two modes of the A2. It is a super comfortable MTL draw. Not tight, not loose, right at the sweet spot for me. That’s due to the fact that the AK2 has only one airflow inlet, while the A2 has two. And that makes a big difference. In fact, it’s the best vape I’ve gotten out of this line, as the A2 in button mode was great but occasionally felt a bit too dense—especially when used with higher strength salts. Unlike the A2, the sensor doesn’t require any lung action to get going, and the device vapes consistently up to when the red LED appears.

Of course, all this is more of a matter of preference, and I’m sure many vapers will prefer the A2 over the KOKO V2. But as far as I’m concerned, the AK2 is the star of the new Caliburn lineup from a performance standpoint.

Battery life and charging

The battery of the AK2 is rated at 520 mAh, same as the A2. I went through around one and ¼ of a pod on a charge (2.5 mL). That’s half an mL less than the 3 mL I got from the Caliburn A2. It also took the KOKO around 45 minutes to fully charge, which is seven minutes less than the A2.

Putting two and two together, I am guessing that the battery has a little bit less juice. In any case, 2.5 mL is fine, as most vapes with a similar footprint will give you around 2-3 mL on a charge.

As for battery indication, the LED has the same color coding as the A2:

Note that Uwell claims that the device can reach a 90% charge in 30 minutes. I wish they had added a fourth color in the LED for this purpose, but it is what it is. If you’re in a hurry, you can probably get a bit over 2 mL of vaping with a half-hour charge.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict

The AK2 is easily my favorite vape in this ecosystem. I wish I had tried the previous KOKOs so I could give you a direct comparison, but I don’t think it’s necessary in this case. The new pods have proven that they are great for flavor, and they are practically leak-free. But what makes the AK2 shine is the great auto-draw sensor and the fine-tuned draw.

The new KOKO offers a satisfying MTL that hit my sweet spot right in the bullseye. Add the fact that it’s super easy to use while looking and feeling great in the hand, and Uwell got themselves a winner. If you want a compact pod vape that doesn’t skimp on performance, or you’ve tried the A2 and felt that it was great but not it, then the AK2 may be the vape you’ve been looking for.

Have you tried previous KOKO vapes? What do you think of the AK2? Let me know in the comments!