UWELL Caliburn G4 & Caliburn G4 Mini Review: Worth the Wait?

Product intro and specs

The UWELL Caliburn G4 has finally arrived! If I sound overly excited, that’s because the G3 family included some of my all-time favorite pod vapes. The devices were fantastic, and the coil technology was better than ever. How could UWELL possibly achieve new heights? Imagining what might be in store for the fourth generation has had my head spinning for weeks. 

So, what does the G4 have to offer? A slick new look, a beautiful color screen, and upgraded pods packed into a compact, lightweight design. We’ll also look at the Caliburn G4 Mini, a smaller, entry-level kit for those who prioritize simplicity and affordability. And here’s the best part: all your favorite G3 pods (a.k.a. GPP pods) remain compatible with fourth-generation devices, so there’s no need to invest in a new ecosystem.

Considering it’s been 18 months since the release of the G3, there’s been a lot of anticipation surrounding both of these kits. Do they meet, surpass, or fall short of expectations? I’ll give you a hint: it’s not the second option. Keep reading to learn more.

G4 Colors: Seashell white, glacier blue, karst grey, flamingo red, twilight silver, gunmetal grey, Sahara gold, polar black
G4 Price: $24.99 (at Element Vape)
G4 Mini Colors: Night black, slate grey, light silver, bright pink, lake blue, grass green, coast gold, peafowl emerald, dusty indigo, paddy green, phoenix purple, champagne gold
G4 Mini Price: $12.99 (at Element Vape)

Build quality and design

Subjectively, the Caliburn G4 has a lot of visual appeal. The design feels fresh and distinctive, setting it apart from the dozens of devices that preceded it. Although the chassis is aluminum alloy, don’t expect any metallic sparkle or dynamic colors in the finish. The thick, pastel-like paint (on both of my units) is almost reminiscent of glossy plastic. The front panels also add a subtle touch of character, tying everything together like Lebowski’s rug. My only gripe is that the device seems to siphon the oils from my hands; it always feels a little greasy.

At just 54.7 grams, the G4 is super pocket-friendly. It may not be as lightweight as the Mini version (46 grams), but it’s not far off. And considering the G4 has a screen, a more advanced chip, and a larger battery, its weight is impressive. The hand feel is also exceptional. Every edge is smooth and rounded, almost to a fault—the curved bottom platform makes it difficult to stand upright.

Lastly, the 0.85-inch screen may not be the largest I’ve seen recently, but it doesn’t need to be. The colors are obscenely sharp, and the fonts are crisp (although some could be larger). It even offers night and day modes (brightness settings) and three user themes. The two animated options look incredible, but there’s also a basic black-and-white theme for people who aren’t fun at parties.

In contrast to its big brother, the G4 Mini design seems uninspired. It doesn’t feel like a distinctive member of the G4 family—it would fit right in with ANY generation of Caliburns. Regardless, it’s constructed well, featuring a classic satin finish that doesn’t collect fingerprints. And despite being smaller, lighter, and simpler than the G4, it still has an adjustable airflow slider, which was a pleasant surprise.

Getting started

The Caliburn G4 is an advanced pod vape with multiple settings, so you’ll need to learn a few click counts to get the most out of it. Thankfully, UWELL is following my new favorite trend: including a quick start guide in the packaging. Just skim it over, and you’ll be an expert in under a minute.

• One click to wake up the screen
• Two clicks to lock/unlock button-firing
• Three clicks to enter wattage-adjustment mode
• Four clicks to enter the menu (theme, mode, brightness, puff clear)
• Five clicks to power on/off

Note that the G4 menu often requires a long press of the button to confirm your selections, much like the recently reviewed VOOPOO Argus G3. It’s a welcome improvement over the common “select and wait” style, which tests my patience.

The updated GPP cartridges are filled via the rubber plug on the side. Unlike previous versions, the plug is exposed, so removing the pod from the device is unnecessary. It’s a smart design, as the plug is flush with the pod (you can’t feel it when you vape), but a small indent allows easy access. I’ve used several pods with this filling style, but UWELL seems to have executed it the best.

Like other GPP pods, the new versions offer direction-oriented airflow. One side allows for an airier draw, and flipping it around increases the restriction. It doesn’t make a huge difference, but that’s forgivable—it’s only a supplementary part of the process. The draw is primarily fine-tuned with the airflow slider on the side of the device.

The G4 Mini is much more straightforward to operate. Fill ‘er up, adjust the airflow, and vape! It’s that simple. Although there is no screen, a three-stage LED indicates the remaining battery level: 

• Green: 60-100% 
• Blue: 30-60% 
• Red: 0-30%

Performance

Caliburn pods have been flavor monsters since the very beginning, but they get better and better with every generation. For this reason, I was expecting greatness from the new PRO-FOCS 4.0 pods. And let me assure you, they did not disappoint.

0.9-ohm pod (MTL): Admittedly, pods in this resistance range usually aren’t my preference; they lack the warmth I enjoy in an MTL vape. And while that is the case here, these pods are undeniably tasty. I can’t say if they’re superior to the previous 0.9-ohm GPP pods (I would need to run them side-by-side), but they’re on the same level at the very least. Unfortunately, they top out at 15 watts; an extra watt or two would likely add even more depth to the flavor.

What’s even more promising is the longevity. I’ve been using a coil-killing e-liquid that some pods can’t endure for more than 7-8 mL. The 0.9-ohm GPP pod has seen 24 mL of this abuse, and it hasn’t been remotely affected. The flavor is still superb.  

0.6-ohm pod (MTL/RDL): If you want a versatile pod, put this one on your list. I began using it in RDL (which was great), but it seems to handle an MTL draw just as well. Although it’s the only pod included with the G4 Mini, it was the perfect choice. The wattage may not be adjustable, but it performs beautifully as is. No adjustments are required (for my tastes, anyway).

On a side note, I should quickly address the two output modes: wave and storm. Based on UWELL’s description, I assume that wave is a form of normal/eco mode, and storm is boost mode. Or maybe UWELL is using unique power curves. I don’t know. Regardless, I can’t pick out any distinct differences between them. If you can, your spidey sense is better than mine.

Note: Late in my testing, the 0.9-ohm GPP pod started reading as 1.2 ohms. Cleaning the contacts didn't fix it either, so now I can only vape at 11 watts max, which is way underpowered. I assume it's just a wonky (and overused) pod, but it's worth mentioning.

Battery life and charging

The Caliburn G4 houses a 1300 mAh battery, a significant upgrade from the original G3 (900 mAh) and even the G3 Pro (1000 mAh). Although that should be a big selling point for this device, it fell short of expectations during my testing. Let me explain.

First, I’ve only been going through about 4.7-4.8 mL of e-liquid per charge. That’s comparable to my results from the G3 Pro (4.5-5 mL), which had 300 mAh less capacity. Despite this, it takes longer to charge (44-45 minutes vs. 36-39 minutes). So, in reality, the larger battery doesn’t seem to offer any advantage—similar longevity but longer charging.

My other issue is the battery display. During my first few hours with the G4, I was shocked by how slowly the percentage was dropping. But, seemingly out of nowhere, the battery was completely dead! So, after charging, I started noting my puff counts as the percentage dropped:

• 100-80%: 166 puffs
• 75-55%: 113 puffs
• 50-30%: 70 puffs
• 25-5%: 43 puffs

In other words, 42% of my total usage occurred between 100% and 80%, making the display incredibly misleading. I ran the same test on a second device, and the results weren’t nearly as extreme, so I’m hoping it was just an anomaly.

The Caliburn G4 Mini also seemed to underperform in this department. I’ve only been getting about 4.1-4.3 mL per charge from the 1100 mAh battery, which is below average. Charging takes about 58 minutes, but that seems acceptable for a “budget-friendly” pod vape. 

Pros / Cons

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