Chris 'majorvapes' SissonI haven’t reviewed a SMOK product in what fees like ages but recently I received a new kit from the good folks at Sourcemore, an online retailer specializing in vape products. The kit released by SMOK just a few months back is a pod based system that uses SMOKs popular RPM coils but also comes with some notable durability features. Here are my honest thoughts on the SMOK Alike.
Package contents:
| 1 x | ALIKE Device (1600mAh) |
|---|---|
| 1 x | ALIKE Empty Pod (5.5ml) |
| 1 x | RPM Mesh 0.4 ohm coil |
| 1 x | RPM DC 0.8 ohm MTL Coil |
| 1 x | Micro USB cable |
| 1 x | User manual |
Listed features and specs:
| Dimensions: | 77 x 43.2 x 23.4mm |
|---|---|
| Weight: | 120g(without pod) |
| Output power: | 1-40w |
| Battery capacity: | 1600mAh |
| Input voltage: | 3.3-4.2V |
| Output voltage: | 0.5-4.0V |
| Standby current: | <120ua |
| Resistance range: | 0.2-2.5ohm |
| Charging: | 5V/1.1A |
Packaging and contents:
The kit comes packed in a nice clean white card board box with an image of the kit on the front and a listing of the contents and some basic warnings on the back. In the kit you get the Alike mod with a pod already attached, you get two different coils, a micro USB cable, a warning card and a user manual. No real extras in the kit but at least you get what you need to get started.
The ALIKE mod:
At 120g the SMOK ALIKE mod feels really solid in hand. It’s mostly made of metal but is coated with a rubbery grippy paint and is also wrapped with a sort of croc skin looking threaded leather wrap. The device has an internal 1600mAh battery and if I’m not mistaken is the first device from SMOK to come with an IPx7 dust, water and shock proof rating. I know people will immediately point out it’s semblance to certain Geekvape products but when GV has done it so well it’s hard to blame others for wanting to imitate their style. That internal battery is charged via micro USB and a port can be found on the bottom which is protected by a silicone plug when not in use. It’s not quite fast charge and can only charge the device at a rate of 5V/1.1A which can take a little while considering the capacity of the battery.
On the working face of the mod it’s got a square plastic fire button that’s nice and clicky with no rattle or anything. Just below it is the 0.96″ colour screen which is well laid out and easy to read. It shows a battery bar top left but also the remaining battery percentage top right. In the center is shows the current watts, a puff timer, the resistance, voltage and a puff count. It also has a row of colour icons along the bottom which you can cycle through to change the colour of the screen highlights. The adjustment rocker is located at the very bottom, it’s also made of plastic but has a decent click to it too.
The Alike uses the usual five clicks to turn it on and off, three clicks will lock the device while holding both adjustment buttons will lock just the wattage adjustment. Pressing fire and + will cycle through the highlight colours while pressing fire and – will clear the puff count. With only a wattage mode that goes up to 40w it’s a super simple device to use and operate making it an ideal option for beginners. Of course it also has the usual safety features built in like short circuit, over charge, over discharge and over current so the device should even keep the newbies safe. No smart features to auto adjust the wattage or anything like that so it’s pretty much a set it and forget it kind of deal.
The ALIKE Pod and coils:
The pod that comes with the kit holds a decent 5.5ml of liquid and inserts into the top of the device via magnets like most other pod systems these days. It has a user replaceable 510 drip tip at the top and is also partially coated in that rubbery grippy paint. A thumb grip on the side helps you slide it out of the device but from the outside there isn’t anyway to see how much liquid remains, meaning you’ll have to slide it up to check every once in a while. You’ll also need to slide it up to access the fill port which is done via a silicone plug on the side of the pod. Top ups are simple as is replacing the coils since it uses SMOKs RPM coils which are plug and play and if you’ve used any SMOK products recently you’re probably already familiar with them. What this means is the device can be used with any of SMOKs RPM coils but also their RPM RBA which is unfortunately sold separately. I won’t go in to great detail on the coils themselves since RPM coils have been around for some time now and there are plenty of reviews out there.
One thing that seems to be missing from the pods or device is any form of airflow control so any airflow restriction with this device will have to come from the coils. Luckily SMOK offers a wide selection of both DL and MTL coils and included in the kit you get one 0.4ohm DL mesh coil rated for 25w but also a 0.8ohm MTL DC coil rated for 16w, so out of the box it’s got both bases covered. However with the lack of any airflow control users won’t be able to dial it in to their preference so will have to be content with the airflow it has by default. The ALIKE with it’s default coils takes an average middle of the road approach so it should suit most vapers just fine. Flavour and vapour will depend on what coil you chose to use but with the two included in the kit I have to say flavour was quite good and overall performance didn’t leave much if anything to be desired. Coil longevity will always depend on what you’re vaping and personal vaping habits but I don’t see why they wouldn’t last just a long as other coils in the same category.
Overall:
I know in the past SMOK has suffered some lash back over the quality of their products but I personally have had few if any issues with any of the products of theirs that I’ve reviewed. That said, I was quite surprised at both the quality and performance of the ALIKE kit and despite the few niggling issues I mentioned I’d still have no trouble recommending this kit. I’d say it’s a little better targeted at new users with it’s simplified interface and ease of use features but I also think seasoned users will find plenty to appreciate with the ALIKE. From it’s solid construction, big battery capacity, IPx7 rating, plug and play coils and the fact that there’s an RBA available I’d say this one gets a pass!
