Product intro and specs
The Argus P1 is the latest Pod system by VOOPOO, one of the more popular companies in vaping ever since the release of their DRAG mod. They’ve had their ups and downs throughout the years, but they’ve released some solid products. One of the best products they’ve made is the DRAG Baby Trio, so I'm happy to try a newer pod system from them to see if it can be as good as that one.
The Argus P1 is an MTL pod system that goes back to basics with no fancy features or modes. It’s square-shaped, similar to products of the UWELL KOKO line and the original Mi-Pod. Its internal battery is listed at 800 mAh and comes with pods that have a 2 mL capacity. It takes replaceable pods with built-in coils that come in two resistances, 0.7 and 1.2 ohm, and they also have a version of the pod that takes replaceable coils on their site—but I was not sent this pod, so I won’t be testing it for this review.
Price: $24.99 (at Element Vape)
Colors: Black, green, red, silver.
- Material: Zinc alloy/PC
- Output power: 5-20 watts
- Output voltage: 3.2-4.2 volts
- Resistance: 0.5-3.0 ohm
- Battery capacity: 800 mAh
- Pod capacity: 2.0 mL
- Pod material: PCTG
- Resistance: 0.7/1.2 ohm
- 1 x Argus pod cartridge (0.7 ohm)
- 1 x Argus pod cartridge (1.2 ohm)
- 1 x User manual
- 1 x Type-C cable
- 1 x Lanyard
Build quality and design
The Argus P1 is a tiny square-shaped pod system that is very easy to pocket. A lot of square pods have been coming out lately, like the Freemax Galex Nano I recently reviewed, and the latest KOKO line products. It features a metal plate covering the body and a clear casing to see the chip inside which looks great. There is also a metal hoop for a lanyard which was included in my kit. The side features a tiny air slider to adjust the air but it's already MTL fully open. You can make it tighter though by sliding it up. It also weighs very little, but feels really solid in the hand and doesn't feel cheap at all. Should easily hold up to the day-to-day life of a pod vape.
There are five colors currently available. I received the gunmetal edition, and while I initially assumed that they’d only change the color of the plate between the color option, the colors refer to the whole body of the device. There are no buttons on the device at all, it’s inhale to fire. Through the clear part of the body you can see the four LEDs used to display the battery charge, which stay on for about a second or two after you finish inhaling. You can also pop the pod out and put it in again to see the battery level which is a cool feature. All in all, it’s a pretty simple device, with a bit of an added flair courtesy of the clear window and the LED lights.
Getting started
The Argus P1 is a pretty typical pod system that’s perfect for beginners. No buttons, no on or off, and no settings outside of the airflow adjustment. Just inhale when you want to vape and pocket it when you are on the go. Filling the pod is basic. The pod itself 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 pull it out. No special tricks needed. To put it back in, just pop it in and the magnets will grab it. Really easy and simple as it should be.
After removing the pod, there is a black rubber plug on the side that you pull to expose the fill hole. The resistance of the pod is also printed on the plug. The pod is fully exposed and the tint is very light, so 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 produce a lot of vapor to get through the day.
Performance
The most important part of any pod device is going to be the coils. As I mentioned earlier the DRAG Baby Trio was great for its time because the coils were great, so we’ll see how this one stacks up.
There are two options currently available, a 1.2-ohm pod and a 0.7-ohm pod. The device comes with one of each, and they both range from a tight MTL to a medium MTL depending on the airflow setting. As I mentioned in the intro, they also list a pod that takes replaceable coils on the product page, but I was not sent this pod so I can’t talk about its performance in this review.
I tested both pods with 50/50 20-24 mg nic salt juices. I started with the 0.7-ohm pod, and for coil life, I got around 12 mL. The average on a device like this is between 10-15 mL, so this fall right around the standards. The flavor was great for a pod system though. I got 20 mL out of the 1.2-ohm pod, which is above the category average. Flavor was at a similar level.
I preferred the 1.2-ohm pod, but both are at least good coils, and you can try both for yourself to see what you prefer. Overall, solid performance from both coils.
Battery life and charging
Battery life on this device will vary due to your vaping habits, but I will say that it seems very sufficient for a device like this. It comes with an internal battery listed at 800 mAh, while charging is listed at different rates due to the fast charge capabilities we’ve seen on a few mods that take a fast charger (not included). With a fast charger, it has 5V/3A, 9V/1.5A, 12V/1.2A, and 15V/1A. The port is Type-C and it’s located on the front of the device under the airflow adjustment, so the device can stand up while charging which is great.
I tested the battery using a standard charger which is what most people should already have, and it charged at 9V 1.46A max which is right in line with their rating. If you do the math, it’s faster than a 5V/2A charger, making it one of the fastest charging pods I’ve tested (if not the fastest). For charge time, it’s less than 30 minutes, so really good there. Going from dead to a full charge is barely an inconvenience with that charging speed. Most pods charge in 30-60 minutes depending on the battery size, so the charge rate here is excellent.
For battery size, I got a usable 611 mAh. Most devices are rated about 20% higher than you actually get due to soft cell cut-off and sometimes using batteries rated higher than they actually are by their manufacturer. In this case, it’s 24% off. Nothing wrong with the battery size itself, but they should have gone with a 700 mAh rating in my opinion.
Oddly, the device doesn’t have passthrough vaping. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a device without passthrough, so I’ll ding them for that. It’s likely due to the fast charging.
The LEDs on the inside act as a battery meter, and they did it perfectly:
- Four LEDs: 76-100%
- Three LEDs: 51-75%
- Two LEDs: 26-50%
- One LED: 0-25%
I always mention in my reviews that a four-step meter is preferable, and VOOPOO seems to have listened.
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
Overall VOOPOO made a great device here that seems like a spiritual successor to the popular Mi-Pod and a direct competitor for UWELL’s KOKO line. Outside of the lack of passthrough, I have no real complaints about the device. It’s simple, good-looking, built well, and durable. The battery is overrated, but battery life is sufficient for a device like this. With that in mind, it really checks all the boxes in my book.
Have you tried the VOOPOO Argus P1 pod? How was your experience with the device? Let us know in the comments below.
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