Voopoo Vinci X Review: The Definition of a Pod Mod

Product intro and specs

The Voopoo Vinci X is the latest pod style AIO in the Vinci series. It fits better to the term “pod mod” that Voopoo used for the previous two Vincis. The reason for that is the fact that the X is powered by an 18650 battery. The Vinci X is taller and thicker than the original Vinci and the Vinci R, and the 18650 allows it to fire up to 70 watts. The device features the same large color screen, and the GENE.AI chip allows you to adjust the wattage and a few more options.

I reviewed the Vinci around a month ago and I liked it, but there were some issues that deterred me from giving it a full recommendation. Namely, the plug of the filling hole was very easy to break, the coils in the package were bad, and I had a couple of misfires when using it while plugged in. Let’s see if Voopoo addressed those issues and if the Vinci X is worth a purchase.

Voopoo sent me this device free of charge for the purpose of this review.

Price: $44.95

Colors: Aurora, dazzling green, space grey, carbon fiber, scarlet, ink, teal blue

Build quality and design

As far as overall build quality, the Vinci X is at the same league as the previous Vincis. It is a sturdy and well-built device, and the extra heft of the X due to its larger size and 18650 battery makes it feel even better put together. But at appx. 175 grams with an 18650 in, the Vinci X is heavier than many single-battery mods. If you want a lightweight and pocketable AIO, this won’t be the one, I can tell you that for sure.

I measured the Vinci (with a pod on) at 117 mm by 29 mm by 25 mm. the difference with the previous Vinci is more apparent on the height, as it is approximately one and a half centimeter taller. There’s also a slight difference on the width, but the device narrows down at the top to match the width of the pod.

The last time I was disappointed I received the plain carbon fiber edition, and looking at the INK one I received this time, I was right. The paint job on these devices is top notch, and I even like the faux texture effect they went with. And the tiny details working for it; the buttons have a satisfying click with no rattle at all, and the battery cap is threaded smoothly which gives the device and even more premium look and feel. I kinda wish it had one of these push-to-open battery trays as this one takes a bit of time to take off and back on again, but I got used to it after a while.

There are no changes on the pods—they are plastic, the mouthpiece has a very ergonomic shape and the cutouts at their sides allow for two airflow options. But once again, you’ll have to be very careful not to break the silicon plug of the filling port, which was one of the biggest gripes I had with the original Vinci. I was kinda hoping they’d fix that, as I am pretty sure that it is bothersome for the majority of users. Let’s hope they’ll take notice and redesign the plug at some point.

Getting started

The Vinci X works the same way as the original Vinci, with only a couple of minor differences.

Start by unscrewing the threaded battery cap at the bottom of the device and inserting a fully charged 18650 battery (check our favorite 18650 batteries here and make sure you purchase one that can handle the wattage). Next, prime the coil with five drops of juice and push it inside the pod. You can now carefully unplug the (fragile) silicon plug and fill the pod with e-liquid. Make sure to check the cutouts at the side of the pod to pick the airflow you prefer—both options are restricted DL and there’s not a huge difference between the two, but it is noticeable. When you are done, give the pod five minutes for the coil to saturate, and then click on the firing button five times to turn on the device.

The Vinci X is going to ask you to set the time at that point, which will be used to calculate your puffs per day and display the data for the last 14 days. Unfortunately, setting the time will not be much of a use to you if you charge your batteries externally (as you should), as it resets soon after you remove your battery from the device. It also seems to randomly delete daily puffs when the battery is removed, so the whole puff counter thing can easily become messy after a while.

Keep the firing button pressed when you are done, and you’ll see the device’s home screen. Wattage will be set automatically, depending on the coil used. The X is rated for 70 watts, but none of the available coils go over 40 watts, and the chip limits the devices max wattage—which is a great feature. Hopefully Voopoo will release higher rated coils in the future.

The menu is well laid out, and pretty straightforward.

Note that the device goes to sleep if left unused for a while, and you’ll need to press the fire button to wake it up. This can get a bit annoying after a while, but it’s not a big deal. Finally, the GENE.AI chip can be updated by using Voopoo’s software and downloading the latest firmware from the company’s website. There are no updates currently available, but they’ll hopefully start coming soon.

Voopoo Vinci X performance

The Vinci X comes with two coils in the box:

I have discussed the 0.3-ohm coil in the coil heads and performance sections of my Vinci review, but I will provide some further input after having spent a lot of time with it since then. This coil is probably the one you want if you like a bit of extra airflow and warmer vapor. Outside of the bum coils that arrived with my original Vinci, every other 0.3-ohm coil I’ve tried has been reliable. Coil life isn’t great, but it is a good coil overall, and better than your average AIO coil when it comes to flavor and vapor production.

Voopoo chose to replace the regular wire 0.8 coil that came with the original Vinci with the PnP-VM4 0.6-ohm mesh coil. I initially failed to notice it—the Vinci X bared so many similarities to the original Vinci that I was convinced that Voopoo didn’t stir things up with the coils. Voopoo contacted us about it, and after using the coil for three days it has already become my favorite. I am using it with 20 mg nicotine salt juice and it’s a great fit for it. I didn’t even feel the need to change the default wattage—the 24 watts that the device sets it at feel just right. It doesn’t produce as much vapor as the 0.3-ohm coil, but the flavor is comparable, if not better. And it’s also very efficient. It took me almost 400 puffs to empty the pod, and there was still some juice left in the battery!

As for the regular 0.8-ohm coil that came with the original Vinci, the 0.6 ohm coil renders it obsolete in almost every way. It may get a little bit tighter than the 0.6, but it sure isn’t a satisfying MTL, if that’s what you’re after. On top of that, it is more prone to flooding and leaking than the other two coils. The only use I found for it with the original Vinci was for 20+ mg nicotine salts, as the 0.3-ohm coil was too powerful for salts. But now with the 0.6-ohm coil performing so well, there’s not much of a need to try it.

Note that all coils may flood a bit if left unused for a while, especially if the pods are low on juice. That’s more of an issue with the 0.8 coil, but occasionally happens with the others too. I suggest keeping the pod at least midway full if possible. As for the device, the auto-firing issue of the original Vinci is no longer relevant as the device does not support pass thru. On top of that, the option for draw activation is ditched—the X is only button-activated. To be honest, I felt that draw activation was causing more issues than it solved, so that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Finally, I won’t be discussing battery life and charging in this review; with the X taking a removable 18650, I advise using an external charger instead of on-board charging.

Pros / Cons

Gallery

Verdict