Honest review time: The Aspire Tekno

Another week, another pod system, this time from Aspire. The latest kit to drop from the big A aims to cover all the bases with a simple yet full featured and pocket friendly pod system. It’s called the Aspire Tekno, doots doots, and it manages to cram in a lot of things into it’s small frame. Let’s check it out!

Package contents:

1 xTekno Device 1300 mAh
1 xTekno Pod (With AVP Pro Coil 0.65Ω) 3.0 ml
1 xTekno Pod (With BP Coil 1.0Ω) 3.5 ml
1 xType-C Cable
1 xUser Manual

Listed features and specs:

Dimensions: 94.5*18*31.5 mm
Weight:83g
Pod capacity: 3.5 ml (use BP coil) / 3.0 ml (use AVP pro coil) / 2.0 ml (TPD version) / 2.0 ml (Danish version)
AVP Pro Coil:Replaceable 0.65Ω Mesh Coil(15-18W) / 1.15Ω Coil(10-16W)
BP Coil:Replaceable 0.6Ω Coil(15-25W) / 1.0Ω Coil(10-16W)
Non-replaceable 0.6Ω / 1.0Ω
Built-in battery capacity: 1300 mAh
Output wattage: 1-30W
Supported resistance range: 0.3-3.5Ω
Screen size:0.69” OLED screen

Packaging and contents:

The kit I received was marked sample so final packaging and contents may vary but the one I received came in a white and orange box with an image of the kit on the front and just the colour and authenticity sticker on the side. In the kit you get the Tekno with a pod already installed, a spare pod with a coil already in it, a USB type-C cable and a user manual. The contents may vary by region and I expect at least a warranty card and perhaps a warning card in the final but this is what I got for review.

The mod:

The mod is rectangular and flat, mostly made of alloy with some embedded graphic elements on either side. It’s got a decent weight to it coming in at 83g and it has a hefty 1300mAh internal battery. It charges via USB Type-C and supports quick charging with a high wattage connection. It’s regulated up to 30W and has all the usual safety features built-in like over-time, short circuit, overheat, low voltage overcharge and overdischarge so in nearly any circumstance this thing should be safe to use. If it’s the only thing I’m using it tends to last me the full day with at least one top up of juice.

On one of the faces it’s got a squarish metallic fire button that with five clicks you can use to turn the device on and off or with three clicks change the mode. Similar to others, it can do A for automatic or autodraw, B for Button fire or AB for Auto and Button. On one of the sides it’s got a 0.69″ OLED screen that shows resistance, voltage, wattage and a battery bar and right below it is another squarish metallic button that you can use to adjust the wattage from 1-30W. There’s just the one button so you do have to round robin through the 30W if you pass your mark. There isn’t any sort of lock or anything on the buttons either but to be fair I haven’t really had any accidental adjustments occur, just set it and forget it.

On the side opposite the screen is the devices sliding airflow adjustment. There’s a little detent jutting out that you can slide up or down with your thumb that opens or closes a little sliding door. Under the door is a triangular shaped hole that can be covered or uncovered to adjust the airflow. At full open it’s a fairly restrictive direct lung hit but closing it up can give you a much tighter mouth to lung hit. Even full closed a bit of air still gets through which you could probably use as the tightest option but I’ve been leaving it open just a sliver for a comfortable for me mtl draw.

The pods:

The kit comes packed with two different pods that also act as the mouthpiece, one that supports their AVP coils and one for their BP coils. They’re a bit chonky but still reasonably comfortable on the lips. The BP pod holds 3.5ml while the AVP pod holds 3ml. If you live in a TPD region however it’s going to be 2ml for both. There is also a CRC version with the main difference being the coils aren’t replaceable but at least with the CRC version both pods will hold 3.5ml.

Both pods have push to fill which is located on the bottom of the pods so topping up does require you remove them from the mod but it’s super easy and relatively mess free. The pods are firmly held in place with a series of magnets but are still easy enough to pop out. On the bottom of the pod is where you will also find the slot for the plug and play replaceable coils. There isn’t really a significant chimney or sleeve inside the pod so you’ll need them to be mostly empty before swapping coils. The kit comes with a 0.65ohm AVP Mesh pro coil(15-18W) for the AVP pod and a 1.0ohm standard BP coil(10-16W) for the BP pod but it also supports the 1.15ohm AVP Pro coils in the AVP pod and the 0.6ohm BP coils in the BP pod so you can mix it up a bit to your liking.

Neither of these coil lines are new and both are pretty much geared towards salt nic based liquids with performance and longevity pretty much on par with others in their range. I was running the AVP Mesh Pro coil at 18W for a full, fairly warm vape while the slightly more subdued BP coil was pretty cozy at just 12W. I got roughly 8-9 refills on the AVP Mesh Pro coil before it started to taste a bit off and about 12 refills on the BP coil before I felt it needed to be swapped out. Individual results may vary but I’d say pretty average performance for coils like these and I’ve been content with both the flavour and vapour these coils produce.

Overall:

Overall there isn’t much to complain about with the Tekno. Does it blow my mind? Not really, but it is regulated, uses solid pnp coils, has a convenient push to fill, a decent sized internal battery, supports USB-C, looks pretty slick and generally speaking performs well. It doesn’t have any built-in smart features like auto-adjusting the wattage but it’s simple enough just about anyone could pick it up and use it with minimal effort. I’d say this one is ideal for new users just starting out but also would be a decent pocket friendly pod system for the more experienced users as well.

How it adds up
Build qualityEase of useButton or AutodrawCompact form factorUSB Type-C chargingAdjustable airflowPlug and play coilsRegulated output 1-30WNo leakingPerformance of BP and AVP Pro coils
Pods need to be mostly empty to swap coilsNo smart features
7.7Overall
Presentation7
Build Quality8
Performance8