Hi Ecigssa members, In this review i take a look at the G-PRIV 3 230W Kit with TFV16 Lite Tank from Smok. The SMOK G-PRIV 3 230W Kit with TFV16 Lite Tank was supplied for the purpose of this review by Ella from Sourcemore.
https://www.sourcemore.com/smok-g-priv3-...-tank.html
Introduction
Smok have probably released more vaping devices than any other manufacturer and in the past did have issues over durability and QC but that was in the distant past as over the last 3 years Smok devices have just got better and better and are amongst the best i receive to review, unfortunately mud sticks!
I have every version of the G-Priv series of touchscreen devices and have seen it evolve into this gem, version 3 which comes paired with a decent subohm tank that accommodates coil heads that use NexMesh and is well worth a look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1 x G-PRIV 3 Mod
1 x TFV16 Lite Tank 5ml (2ml TPD Edition)
1 x TFV16 Lite Conical Mesh 0.2ohm Coil Powered by nexMesh (Pre-installed)
1 x TFV16 Lite Dual Mesh 0.15ohm Coil
1 x Glass Tube Replacement
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
Spare Parts
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
On opening the box i was met by a lovely shaped device, the cut corners, raised front panel (which incorporates the full face touchscreen) also with cut corners and fire bar turns a basic rectangle into a pleasantly shaped form. The device i received was the Prism Gold version which comes with a matching TFV16 Lite Tank. The colour options are Purple Red, Prism Chrome, Prism Gold and Black, the build quality and finish is immaculate, this is not the Smok of three years ago but a much improved manufacturer releasing top notch devices.
The back panel has a different design dependent on colour option and down one side above the Black fire bar we have a horizontal lock button. Up top to one side we have a 510 plate raised by a hair which incorporates a nice spring loaded 510 and the bottom reveals generous venting slots and the Type C USB port. The device has some weight to it but is not too heavy and fits nicely in the hand, having a fire bar in my opinion always helps with the ergonomics and i personally use a squeezing action to fire. The G-Priv 3 is a solid and seems very durable device with no rattles whatsoever and yet another improved device in the G-Priv range of touchscreen devices.
___________________________________________________________________
TFV16 Lite Specs and Features:
TFV16 Lite Tank
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 28 x 58.5mm
Weight: 73g
Capacity: 5ml
Coil: TFV16 Lite Conical Mesh Coil 0.2ohm(Best 60-85W), TFV16 Lite Dual Mesh Coil 0.15ohm(Best 60-90W)
Drip Tip: 16mm Resin Drip Tip
Thread: 810
TFV16 Lite EU Tank
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 28 x 58.5mm
Weight: 75g
Capacity: 2ml
Coil: TFV16 Lite Conical Mesh Coil 0.2ohm(Best 60-85W), TFV16 Lite Dual Mesh Coil 0.15ohm(Best 60-90W)
Drip Tip: 16mm Resin Drip Tip
Thread: 810
Super powerful mesh tank with exquisite design
Brand-new TFV16 Lite Mesh coils for massive vapor and superb flavor
2ml/5ml e-juice capacity with sealed top refill system
Revolutionary top cap with secure locking mechanism
Adjustable upgraded airflow system
Colours: Purple Red, Gold, Black, Stainless Steel
___________________________________________________________________
TFV16 Lite Overview
TFV16 Lite is a smaller version of the TFV16 Tank being 24mm at the base and 28MM around the bubble glass. The capacity is also less being 5ml (2ml TPD version), you also receive a spare glass.
The drip tip is a customised 810 with o-rings which sits on a platform so some of your own will fit while others won't or will look odd if they overhang the platform. The fill method is top-fill, just press the top button inwards and then the top will rotate open revealing a very nice sized fill slot.
You get 2 different Conical Mesh coils provided that use NexMesh, the coils just get press fitted into place. Pre-installed is a 0.2ohm single mesh coil head which is rated between 60 to 85W and also included is a Dual mesh coil head 0.15ohm which is rated between 60 to 90W.
The airflow is very large dual cyclops which moves with a nice tolerance and has stoppers, overall a fine looking solid subohm tank!
___________________________________________________________________
G-Priv 3 Specs and Features:
Size: 54 x 28 x 85mm
Battery: dual 18650 batteries (not included)
Power Range: 1-230W ( VW ) / 10-230W ( TC )
Working Modes: VW ( Soft, Norm, Hard, Max ) / TC ( NI, TI, SS, TCR, Preheat ) / My Mode
Resistance Range: 0.1-2.5ohm ( VW ) / 0.05-2.0ohm ( TC )
Temperature Range: 100-315℃ / 200-600℉
Max Output Current: 50A
Input Voltage: 6.4-8.4V
Output Voltage: 0.5-8.2V
Standby Current: <400uA
Firing Time: 0.001S
Charging: 5V / 2A
Maximum 230W output power with new IQ-G chipset
2.4" colorful touch screen for easy working
Outstanding working modes for simple operation
Secondary key simplifies screen Lock / Unlock
Type-C Fast charging port
Multiple protection for comfortable use
Colours: Purple Red, Prism Chrome, Prism Gold, Black
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Batteries
The G-Priv 3 accommodates dual 18650 batteries which get fitted securely deep into the compartment. We have an attached battery ribbon which is needed and orientation is labelled clearly in bright White (great job)!
The inside of the cover has a coating just in case you have a small tear on one of your wraps (don't use this as an excuse to use damaged wraps) and it's good to see printed on the coating battery safety information.
The panel fits via 2 magnets at the top and a central magnet at the bottom, it snaps into place very securely without any play whatsoever, cracking job!
___________________________________________________________________
The Display
The G-Priv 3 has a full face, full colour touch screen which can be customised within the menu. For operating with the screen unlocked we just have 3 things that can be activated from the main screen, towards the bottom we have left and right arrow icons for adjusting wattage or temperature and top left we have the menu icon. Pressing the menu icon takes you into the menu which is operated entirely by touch which works flawlessly, while in the menu system the menu icon is replaced by a home icon and pressing this at any time takes you back to the main screen.
Top left has mentioned we have the menu icon and top right we have 2 battery status bars labelled "A" and "B", central top we have a padlock when locked which disappears when the touchscreen is unlocked.
The main central display is like a speedometer design which moves in real time to show wattage when firing. Central within this design we have the set wattage or temperature depending which mode you are using, and to the right we have the time of your puff. Below the speedometer design to the right and left we have the already mentioned wattage (or temperature) adjustment icons.
Bottom left we have the resistance, central bottom the voltage and finally bottom right we have the puff counter.
___________________________________________________________________
Operating The G-Priv 3
Normally i go into great detail on how the devices menu flows doing a step by step tutorial but because there is so much to go through (it would mean waffling on) yet the menu flows that impressively it really can be worked out quickly even without a manual if you're the type like me that prefer to work things out for yourself (so i'll skim through it), it really is impressively user friendly driven.
The device is the almost universal 5 clicks to turn the device on and off (it will ask you to touch the screen to confirm shutting down), 3 clicks while the device is on locks and unlocks the whole device including the fire bar. Above the fire bar is located a lock screen button, pressing this down for 2 seconds locks and unlocks the screen or just a quick press turns the screen off and on so acting as stealth mode (whenever the screen is unlocked a press of the fire bar to vape locks the touchscreen again), now on to the menu.
When switching on the device you are on the main screen that gives all the usual information, on this screen you can simply adjust the wattage then vape, how easy is that. Going into the menu doesn't increase the rocket science, first top left of the screen press the "menu icon" which takes you to the menu screen.
The menu screen has just 4 options which are Mode, MyMode, Puff and settings. Obviously mode then gives you the option of which mode you want and if you choose Wattage you can select pre-heat. TC mode is where you can set your wire type, temperature, wattage (for TC) and TCR settings. MyMode offers 4 memory slots to input wattage, preheat, e-juice flavour and nicotine strength (not really interested in this but i can see why some people might be). The third option takes you to the Puff counter where you can limit or reset puffs and then everything else including customising the display and setting a pass-code for the device can be found in the settings.
Smok have always done user friendly interfaces but the menu system on the G-PRIV 3 has got to be the best to date helped immensely by the very responsive touchscreen.
___________________________________________________________________
Protections Include:
10 Seconds Cut-off
Short Circuit Protection
Over-heating Protection
Low Battery Protection
___________________________________________________________________
Charging
As always i only recommend charging batteries in the device if it's you're only option. The G-Priv 3 has Type C USB and supports balanced charging at 2A. Really good to see Type C USB on the G-Priv 3 but i really don't like the port being on the base of the device and would recommend removing any attached atty before lying down.
___________________________________________________________________
My Experience Using The G-Priv 3 Kit and Thoughts!
I tried both coil heads in the TFV16 Lite tank but mainly used RTA's on the device simply because i don't like vaping above 40W. Both coil heads with the NexMesh do give cracking flavour and the TFV16 gives bags of air so those who vape at higher wattage than me will find it very decent.
The 0.2ohm single mesh coil was fairly smooth but quite noisy and as mentioned did give cracking flavour compared to other subohm stock coil heads. I preferred the dual mesh 0.15 coil head which matched the single mesh coil head for flavour but was quieter and gave much smoother airflow. Despite their slightly different ratings i found both coil heads to be best at 70W with airflow at halfway for the restriction i like. I like the top-fill method but would much prefer a Goon style 810, the 5ml capacity is also adequate and for those with the TPD version then you just need to remove the capacity reducing bung to get the same 5ml capacity.
The star of the show is the G-Priv 3 which is a cracking touchscreen device. Smok have always made good power devices so although 230W seems optimistic it will fair better than most when it comes to the actual top wattage it can achieve but to be sure and to find out how it fairs in TC mode then you will need to watch or read a tech review.
All the wattage's i vaped at seemed very accurate and it performed flawlessly. I love the fire bar which i found best just to squeeze to fire and the locking button is a great feature! Although i didn't use it the pass-code feature is also good if you have kids around and likewise although not for me some people will like both the Mymode and puff limit features.
The touchscreen is as responsive as on a smartphone and it is such a simple device to navigate, although quite weighty it feels really comfortable in either hand!
The only negatives are the position of the USB port although for those that would only use the port for firmware upgrades not a major issue and i just feel this should be able to accommodate far larger atty's but it's design and side positioned 510 only allows for up to 25mm, any bigger give overhang.
___________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
The G-Priv with version 3 has evolved in my opinion into the best touchscreen device available (at least the best touchscreen device i have used).
Likes
Very good build quality
Nice quality finish
Colourful back panel
Ergonomic
4 Colour options
Lock button
Very responsive full face colour touchscreen
Very user friendly
Lock button
Fire bar
Performed flawlessly
Display can be customised
Adjusts in 1W increments
Pass-code Feature
Puff limit feature
Mymode
TC (not tested)
Back panel fits very securely with no play whatsoever
White battery labelled orientation
Battery Ribbon
High wattage dual battery device
Includes TFV16 Lite Tank (very decent)
2 different coil heads using NexMesh
0.15ohm coil smooth airflow
Both coil heads very good flavour
Top-fill
5ml Capacity
Spare glass
Type C USB
2A Balanced charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
Over 25mm atty's will overhang
Would prefer goon style fitting 810
Quite heavy
USB port on base
No custom curve feature
The device i received is a fingerprint magnet
I would once again like to thank Ella from Sourcemore for supplying the SMOK G-PRIV 3230W Kit with TFV16 Lite Tank for the purpose of this review.
https://www.sourcemore.com/smok-g-priv3-...-tank.html
___________________________________________________________________
https://www.sourcemore.com/smok-g-priv3-...-tank.html
Introduction
Smok have probably released more vaping devices than any other manufacturer and in the past did have issues over durability and QC but that was in the distant past as over the last 3 years Smok devices have just got better and better and are amongst the best i receive to review, unfortunately mud sticks!
I have every version of the G-Priv series of touchscreen devices and have seen it evolve into this gem, version 3 which comes paired with a decent subohm tank that accommodates coil heads that use NexMesh and is well worth a look!
___________________________________________________________________
In The Box
Contents:
1 x G-PRIV 3 Mod
1 x TFV16 Lite Tank 5ml (2ml TPD Edition)
1 x TFV16 Lite Conical Mesh 0.2ohm Coil Powered by nexMesh (Pre-installed)
1 x TFV16 Lite Dual Mesh 0.15ohm Coil
1 x Glass Tube Replacement
1 x USB Cable
1 x User Manual
Spare Parts
___________________________________________________________________
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
On opening the box i was met by a lovely shaped device, the cut corners, raised front panel (which incorporates the full face touchscreen) also with cut corners and fire bar turns a basic rectangle into a pleasantly shaped form. The device i received was the Prism Gold version which comes with a matching TFV16 Lite Tank. The colour options are Purple Red, Prism Chrome, Prism Gold and Black, the build quality and finish is immaculate, this is not the Smok of three years ago but a much improved manufacturer releasing top notch devices.
The back panel has a different design dependent on colour option and down one side above the Black fire bar we have a horizontal lock button. Up top to one side we have a 510 plate raised by a hair which incorporates a nice spring loaded 510 and the bottom reveals generous venting slots and the Type C USB port. The device has some weight to it but is not too heavy and fits nicely in the hand, having a fire bar in my opinion always helps with the ergonomics and i personally use a squeezing action to fire. The G-Priv 3 is a solid and seems very durable device with no rattles whatsoever and yet another improved device in the G-Priv range of touchscreen devices.
___________________________________________________________________
TFV16 Lite Specs and Features:
TFV16 Lite Tank
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 28 x 58.5mm
Weight: 73g
Capacity: 5ml
Coil: TFV16 Lite Conical Mesh Coil 0.2ohm(Best 60-85W), TFV16 Lite Dual Mesh Coil 0.15ohm(Best 60-90W)
Drip Tip: 16mm Resin Drip Tip
Thread: 810
TFV16 Lite EU Tank
Material: Stainless Steel
Size: 28 x 58.5mm
Weight: 75g
Capacity: 2ml
Coil: TFV16 Lite Conical Mesh Coil 0.2ohm(Best 60-85W), TFV16 Lite Dual Mesh Coil 0.15ohm(Best 60-90W)
Drip Tip: 16mm Resin Drip Tip
Thread: 810
Super powerful mesh tank with exquisite design
Brand-new TFV16 Lite Mesh coils for massive vapor and superb flavor
2ml/5ml e-juice capacity with sealed top refill system
Revolutionary top cap with secure locking mechanism
Adjustable upgraded airflow system
Colours: Purple Red, Gold, Black, Stainless Steel
___________________________________________________________________
TFV16 Lite Overview
TFV16 Lite is a smaller version of the TFV16 Tank being 24mm at the base and 28MM around the bubble glass. The capacity is also less being 5ml (2ml TPD version), you also receive a spare glass.
The drip tip is a customised 810 with o-rings which sits on a platform so some of your own will fit while others won't or will look odd if they overhang the platform. The fill method is top-fill, just press the top button inwards and then the top will rotate open revealing a very nice sized fill slot.
You get 2 different Conical Mesh coils provided that use NexMesh, the coils just get press fitted into place. Pre-installed is a 0.2ohm single mesh coil head which is rated between 60 to 85W and also included is a Dual mesh coil head 0.15ohm which is rated between 60 to 90W.
The airflow is very large dual cyclops which moves with a nice tolerance and has stoppers, overall a fine looking solid subohm tank!
___________________________________________________________________
G-Priv 3 Specs and Features:
Size: 54 x 28 x 85mm
Battery: dual 18650 batteries (not included)
Power Range: 1-230W ( VW ) / 10-230W ( TC )
Working Modes: VW ( Soft, Norm, Hard, Max ) / TC ( NI, TI, SS, TCR, Preheat ) / My Mode
Resistance Range: 0.1-2.5ohm ( VW ) / 0.05-2.0ohm ( TC )
Temperature Range: 100-315℃ / 200-600℉
Max Output Current: 50A
Input Voltage: 6.4-8.4V
Output Voltage: 0.5-8.2V
Standby Current: <400uA
Firing Time: 0.001S
Charging: 5V / 2A
Maximum 230W output power with new IQ-G chipset
2.4" colorful touch screen for easy working
Outstanding working modes for simple operation
Secondary key simplifies screen Lock / Unlock
Type-C Fast charging port
Multiple protection for comfortable use
Colours: Purple Red, Prism Chrome, Prism Gold, Black
___________________________________________________________________
Fitting The Batteries
The G-Priv 3 accommodates dual 18650 batteries which get fitted securely deep into the compartment. We have an attached battery ribbon which is needed and orientation is labelled clearly in bright White (great job)!
The inside of the cover has a coating just in case you have a small tear on one of your wraps (don't use this as an excuse to use damaged wraps) and it's good to see printed on the coating battery safety information.
The panel fits via 2 magnets at the top and a central magnet at the bottom, it snaps into place very securely without any play whatsoever, cracking job!
___________________________________________________________________
The Display
The G-Priv 3 has a full face, full colour touch screen which can be customised within the menu. For operating with the screen unlocked we just have 3 things that can be activated from the main screen, towards the bottom we have left and right arrow icons for adjusting wattage or temperature and top left we have the menu icon. Pressing the menu icon takes you into the menu which is operated entirely by touch which works flawlessly, while in the menu system the menu icon is replaced by a home icon and pressing this at any time takes you back to the main screen.
Top left has mentioned we have the menu icon and top right we have 2 battery status bars labelled "A" and "B", central top we have a padlock when locked which disappears when the touchscreen is unlocked.
The main central display is like a speedometer design which moves in real time to show wattage when firing. Central within this design we have the set wattage or temperature depending which mode you are using, and to the right we have the time of your puff. Below the speedometer design to the right and left we have the already mentioned wattage (or temperature) adjustment icons.
Bottom left we have the resistance, central bottom the voltage and finally bottom right we have the puff counter.
___________________________________________________________________
Operating The G-Priv 3
Normally i go into great detail on how the devices menu flows doing a step by step tutorial but because there is so much to go through (it would mean waffling on) yet the menu flows that impressively it really can be worked out quickly even without a manual if you're the type like me that prefer to work things out for yourself (so i'll skim through it), it really is impressively user friendly driven.
The device is the almost universal 5 clicks to turn the device on and off (it will ask you to touch the screen to confirm shutting down), 3 clicks while the device is on locks and unlocks the whole device including the fire bar. Above the fire bar is located a lock screen button, pressing this down for 2 seconds locks and unlocks the screen or just a quick press turns the screen off and on so acting as stealth mode (whenever the screen is unlocked a press of the fire bar to vape locks the touchscreen again), now on to the menu.
When switching on the device you are on the main screen that gives all the usual information, on this screen you can simply adjust the wattage then vape, how easy is that. Going into the menu doesn't increase the rocket science, first top left of the screen press the "menu icon" which takes you to the menu screen.
The menu screen has just 4 options which are Mode, MyMode, Puff and settings. Obviously mode then gives you the option of which mode you want and if you choose Wattage you can select pre-heat. TC mode is where you can set your wire type, temperature, wattage (for TC) and TCR settings. MyMode offers 4 memory slots to input wattage, preheat, e-juice flavour and nicotine strength (not really interested in this but i can see why some people might be). The third option takes you to the Puff counter where you can limit or reset puffs and then everything else including customising the display and setting a pass-code for the device can be found in the settings.
Smok have always done user friendly interfaces but the menu system on the G-PRIV 3 has got to be the best to date helped immensely by the very responsive touchscreen.
___________________________________________________________________
Protections Include:
10 Seconds Cut-off
Short Circuit Protection
Over-heating Protection
Low Battery Protection
___________________________________________________________________
Charging
As always i only recommend charging batteries in the device if it's you're only option. The G-Priv 3 has Type C USB and supports balanced charging at 2A. Really good to see Type C USB on the G-Priv 3 but i really don't like the port being on the base of the device and would recommend removing any attached atty before lying down.
___________________________________________________________________
My Experience Using The G-Priv 3 Kit and Thoughts!
I tried both coil heads in the TFV16 Lite tank but mainly used RTA's on the device simply because i don't like vaping above 40W. Both coil heads with the NexMesh do give cracking flavour and the TFV16 gives bags of air so those who vape at higher wattage than me will find it very decent.
The 0.2ohm single mesh coil was fairly smooth but quite noisy and as mentioned did give cracking flavour compared to other subohm stock coil heads. I preferred the dual mesh 0.15 coil head which matched the single mesh coil head for flavour but was quieter and gave much smoother airflow. Despite their slightly different ratings i found both coil heads to be best at 70W with airflow at halfway for the restriction i like. I like the top-fill method but would much prefer a Goon style 810, the 5ml capacity is also adequate and for those with the TPD version then you just need to remove the capacity reducing bung to get the same 5ml capacity.
The star of the show is the G-Priv 3 which is a cracking touchscreen device. Smok have always made good power devices so although 230W seems optimistic it will fair better than most when it comes to the actual top wattage it can achieve but to be sure and to find out how it fairs in TC mode then you will need to watch or read a tech review.
All the wattage's i vaped at seemed very accurate and it performed flawlessly. I love the fire bar which i found best just to squeeze to fire and the locking button is a great feature! Although i didn't use it the pass-code feature is also good if you have kids around and likewise although not for me some people will like both the Mymode and puff limit features.
The touchscreen is as responsive as on a smartphone and it is such a simple device to navigate, although quite weighty it feels really comfortable in either hand!
The only negatives are the position of the USB port although for those that would only use the port for firmware upgrades not a major issue and i just feel this should be able to accommodate far larger atty's but it's design and side positioned 510 only allows for up to 25mm, any bigger give overhang.
___________________________________________________________________
Conclusion
The G-Priv with version 3 has evolved in my opinion into the best touchscreen device available (at least the best touchscreen device i have used).
Likes
Very good build quality
Nice quality finish
Colourful back panel
Ergonomic
4 Colour options
Lock button
Very responsive full face colour touchscreen
Very user friendly
Lock button
Fire bar
Performed flawlessly
Display can be customised
Adjusts in 1W increments
Pass-code Feature
Puff limit feature
Mymode
TC (not tested)
Back panel fits very securely with no play whatsoever
White battery labelled orientation
Battery Ribbon
High wattage dual battery device
Includes TFV16 Lite Tank (very decent)
2 different coil heads using NexMesh
0.15ohm coil smooth airflow
Both coil heads very good flavour
Top-fill
5ml Capacity
Spare glass
Type C USB
2A Balanced charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
Over 25mm atty's will overhang
Would prefer goon style fitting 810
Quite heavy
USB port on base
No custom curve feature
The device i received is a fingerprint magnet
I would once again like to thank Ella from Sourcemore for supplying the SMOK G-PRIV 3230W Kit with TFV16 Lite Tank for the purpose of this review.
https://www.sourcemore.com/smok-g-priv3-...-tank.html
___________________________________________________________________
