VOOPOO ARGUS G3 Mini Review: Simple Vape, Great Pods!

Product intro and specs

In this review, I will be testing a brand new pod vape from VOOPOO, the ARGUS G3 Mini. It’s so fresh that when I started my testing, it wasn't even on the company's website. It's the mini version of the third installment in the ARGUS pod series, which comprises some of the most popular pod vapes on the market. 

The G3 Mini is a super-lightweight pod, it houses a battery listed at 1350 mAh, and comes with a 3 mL 0.7-ohm “Top Fill Cartridge V2” ARGUS pod. Like the rest of the line, it’s cross-compatible with previous ARGUS pods; I’ve tested most of them, and they are really good pods for coil life and flavor. The V2 pods are powered by VOOPOO's new iCOSM CODE 2.0 Technology, which comes with an updated anti-leaking design and promises efficient e-liquid delivery and a longer lifespan.

The G3 Mini is a simple vape, and the lack of adjustable airflow makes it suitable for low-watt MTL vaping using high-nicotine salt juices. Let's see if this makes it a good fit for beginner vapers.

Price: TBA (at Element Vape)
Colors: Grass green, sky blue, lilac purple, rose gold, hot pink, moonlight silver, space grey, midnight black

Build quality and design

The ARGUS G3 Mini has a basic “pen-style” design. The bottom of the device has the “ARGUS G3 Mini” logo as well as the battery specs. The device is really light but strong and appears to be made of some sort of aluminum alloy, making it very durable to the everyday use and abuse these devices take. The sides are ribbed, adding a unique look and providing some extra grip. 

While most of the device has a matte finish, there is a thin shiny strip across the middle where the small LED is. On the side, you have two small non-adjustable airflow holes (one on each side) which give a solid MTL vape. It’s not tight, but it’s tighter than an RDL vape for sure. Under the airflow hole, you've got your standard USB-C port for charging, and that about sums up the device.

The device comes in eight color options. The one I received (grass green) is a solid lime green color with a matte finish, outside of a few shiny finish areas (LED strip and the sides). Overall, it’s a pretty basic-looking device with just enough flair to stand out.

Getting started

Using the VOOPOO ARGUS G3 Mini is as easy as it gets. There are no buttons, no settings, no bells or whistles. It’s a beginner-friendly device that's made with simplicity in mind. 

The Mini comes with the pod pre-installed. You have to remove the pod, peel the sticker off the bottom, fill it up, wait five minutes to let the coil prime, and then you simply inhale to vape. But let's dive a little deeper into it. 

Filling the pod can be done with the pod installed. However, note that not all ARGUS pods are like that. Some of the older ones are bottom fill, and may still be for sale at some places. The newest versions have a teal bottom. There is a rubber plug on the side, so you need to turn the device horizontal, open the plug, and fill. One thing of note is that, even with the thinner juices, there isn’t enough space internally between the coil and the cover, so you’ll have to give the juice time to make its way down to the other side in order to fill it completely. I’ll give them a little ding for that; the pod needs some extra space between the coil and the cover. The pod is fully exposed, which makes it easy to see juice level, but it is tinted.

The pods are held in firmly by strong magnets with no wiggle or play. As soon as the pod gets in, it will pop into place thanks to the strong magnets. Besides the filling, not much else to do but vape on it. You can’t adjust the airflow (or anything else).

There is one LED on it, which is white and red. It’s likely the same as the G2 Mini, where it’s white between 15-100% and red when under 15%. I wish pods would have a four-step battery meter in equal quarters; that should be the standard. Either way, the battery meter isn’t super helpful. You can check it anytime by popping the pod out and in. 

Overall, the G3 Mini is a simple and easy-to-use device that works well but has a couple of quirks.

Performance

I’m no stranger to ARGUS pods as I've reviewed many of them, and overall, their coils are pretty good. The VOOPOO ARGUS G3 Mini comes with only one 0.7-ohm pod, so it gets a ding there for that; they should always include two. 

The vape on it is nice and smooth, and a solid MTL without being really tight or too loose. The flavor is accurate in all my juices, and it tastes great for a pod. You get a mostly cool but flavorful vape. I've gone through 30 mL of juice, and the coil is still as good as day one, so great longevity as well. Really impressed with the performance here. 

Remember, you can use any ARGUS pod in this device, so there are tons of options. I just wish the device came with more than one pod so that vapers can try more options to figure out which one they prefer.

Battery life and charging

The manual lists charging at 5V/1A and battery capacity at 1350 mAh. For most internal battery devices, the expected actual usable capacity is 80% of the listed, so with that in mind, the expectation is around 1080 mAh. Similarly, charge rate is usually rounded up, so I expect 0.8-1A. 

The max charge rate I got was 0.67A, and most of the time it charges at around 0.6A. The light stays on when charging and turns off to let you know it’s fully charged. The light went off on my device at about 92 minutes, but I noticed it wasn't actually full at that point. It was at 988 mAh, so about 90% full. It continues charging at around 0.5A for another 10 minutes, then drops down to 0.15A for another 10 minutes, then to 0.08A, and then finally finishes charging at a total time of 1 hour and 54 minutes. At that point, the total usable battery is at 1070 mAh, which is a little lower than expected but not by much. 

Overall, it's a little on the slow side for charging (they should have rated it at 0.7A instead of 1A), but if you don't mind having 90%, the 92 minutes are not very bad for a device like this.

Pros / Cons

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