VOOPOO ARGUS G & ARGUS POD SE Review: Something for Everyone

Product intro and specs

The VOOPOO ARGUS G and ARGUS POD SE are the two latest pod systems by VOOPOO. As parts of the ARGUS line, they take the same pods as the P1 as well as the older ARGUS Z and ARGUS devices. I really enjoyed the ARGUS P1 and found it to be a great pod system. Since these use the same coils, they should be winners as well, but we will see as I go through the full review.

The ARGUS G is the fancier of the two, boasting a full black-and-white screen, adjustable wattage, and a battery rated at 1000 mAh, while the SE is the simpler version with a battery listed at 800 mAh. The pods have a 2 mL capacity and come with built-in coils, so they need to be disposed of when the coils die. But they do offer a “blank” pod as well that takes four coils of the ITO line.

Price: $20.99 (ARGUS G at Element Vape), $17.99 (ARGUS POD SE at Element Vape)

Colors: (ARGUS G) space grey, aurora blue, satin blue, racing green, gloss black, glow pink, sand drift gold (ARGUS POD SE) black, red, brown, shiny blue, shiny orange.

Build quality and design

I’ll start with the ARGUS POD SE, which is the more basic and easier-to-use pod. It’s about as basic as it gets and comes in a small rectangular design that is very easy to pocket. The front features a small air slider that adjusts from a tight MTL to a loose MTL/really restricted DL. It’s really best for MTL vaping but offers some adjustment as to how tight you may like it. The side features three LED lights for the battery level.

The SE is available in five colors. The shiny blue and shiny orange come with shiny matching panels, and the brown, red, and black have leather panels with black/gunmetal bodies based on the pictures. I got the shiny blue, and it’s a beautiful teal color with panels that blend in but, with the right light, have a design in them. Very sleek.

The more featured G version offers a full black-and-white screen on the front that displays battery level, wattage, resistance, and a puff counter. Under the LED is the all-in-one button, which I'll go over later. It’s also a little taller and a little skinnier than the SE. The air slider is on the side and offers more of an adjustment than the SE version, allowing from a pretty tight MTL up to a solid restricted DL vape.

The G is offered in seven colors. Four solid colors (gloss black, satin blue, sand drift gold, and glow pink) and three fade colors (space gray, racing green, and aurora blue). I got the space gray, which looks great in the gradient color.

Both devices weigh very little but feel really solid in the hand and not cheap at all. Should easily hold up to the day-to-day life of a pod vape. All in all, two simple and well-designed pods with great build quality and a wide range of color options to pick from.

Getting started

The ARGUS POD SE is a super basic pod that’s perfect for beginners. No buttons, no on or off, no settings. Just inhale when you want to vape and pocket it when you are on the go.

The ARGUS G does have an all-in-one button, but it’s still pretty easy to use. Clicking it five times turns the device on and off. It can be used as a fire button too, but the device is also inhale-to-fire, and I prefer using it that way. Clicking three times enters wattage adjust mode, and it’ll only let you adjust it in the range of the coils, so no worries about going too high. Good feature for beginners.

The pod is magnetic and comes in and out very easily. It’s not tight in there, but the magnets hold it in place well with no wiggle. To remove the pod, just grab it and pull it out. To put it back in, just pop it in and the magnets will grab it. Really easy and simple as it should be.

There is a black rubber plug on the side of the pod that you remove to expose the fill hole. The pod is fully exposed, and the tint is very light, so the juice level is easy to see. I wish all companies would do this since I’m always a function-first kind of guy and would much rather see clear pods.

Overall, the usage is perfect for first-time vapers looking to quit smoking or someone who wants something small that doesn't make a lot of vapor to get through the day.

Performance

I’ve used these coils before for my ARGUS P1 review so I’m already familiar with them, but testing them for this review allows me to see if they are consistently good.

Both kits come with the same pods, one with a 1.2-ohm coil and one with a 0.7-ohm coil. They also offer a pod that takes replaceable coils from the ITO line as a separate purchase.

I started my testing with the 0.7-ohm coil using 50/50 20-24 mg nic salt juices. I got 20 mL on average, so the coil performed even better than last time and better than the category average which is 10-15 mL. Their website claims 14 mL, which is what I got last time, but this time it lasted even longer. The flavor was great for a pod system too. I know they call it a DL coil, but I prefer it for MTL. I don’t think 25 watts max is good enough for DL vaping, but it offers a good loose MTL at under 20 watts.

Then I tested the 1.2-ohm pod with the same juices and was able to get 20 mL as well. Really good life, and flavor was about the same. I prefer the 1.2-ohm pod as I feel it’s more fitting for this device, but both are good, and you can try both to see which one you prefer. Overall, the coils pass the test once again.

Battery life and charging

The ARGUS SE comes with an internal battery listed at 800 mAh, but I couldn’t find a listed charge rate. The port is USB-C, and it is located at the bottom of the device. I tested the device, and for the charge rate I got a max of 0.7A. I’d expect it to be rated at 1A since most of the time charge rate is rounded up by companies.

For charge time, I got about 70 minutes. Most pods charge in 30-60 minutes depending on the battery size, so the charge rate here is acceptable but not fast. For battery size, I got around 700 mAh, which is a little below the rating. Most devices are rated about 20% higher for various reasons I’ve discussed in my past reviews. This one is only about 12.5% overstated, so their rating is good.

The three LEDs on the side show battery life, each one representing one third of the battery:

I would have preferred four evenly spaced steps, but most devices have three oddly spaced ones, so it’s better than most of its competition.

The ARGUS G comes with an internal battery listed at 1000 mAh and, again, no listed charge rate. The port is USB-C, and it is located on the side of the device. Testing the charge rate, I got a max of 0.92A, which is very close to the 1A that it should be listed at. For charge time, I got 90 minutes, which is longer than most, but that's due to the larger battery. For battery size, I got a usable 1000 mAh, which is actually what they advertise, so that's great. It’s likely a little undersold, but I prefer that since you actually get what's stated.

Sadly, like the ARGUS P1 I reviewed, both these devices lack passthrough vaping.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict