With the trend of pod systems becoming increasingly popular, I decided to get 2 pod devices from SMOK, the ROLO Badge and the Infinix. I have been using these devices for roughly 4-5 weeks and these are my thoughts on these devices. What makes these devices a step up from other pod devices is the fact that they have refillable pods. Devices that do not have refillable pods cost quite a lot to use especially if they are your daily vape. Most non-refillable pod devices have a ~2ml pod which costs R45+ depending on brand. This translates to R675+ per 30ml of liquid! For this reason, the SMOK Pod devices are a more attractive option for new vapers.
What’s in the box:
Both the Rolo Badge and Infinix come neatly packed in your typical SMOK box. Inside the box you will find the battery (Device), Two 2ml pods, a USB Cable for charging, an injection bottle for easy refilling and a user manual. Both these devices are offered in variety of colour options and being a SMOK product, more colour options will be added.
Design
Most pod devices usually fall under 3 categories in design; The First category is the odd designs and shapes like the Suorin drop (Tear drop shape) and the Second category is the long, narrow style device like the BO Pod, Phix, Myle, Juul etc. and the Third category are the pod devices like the Mi-Pod etc. It seems that SMOK made each of these devices to fit into these categories and they both fit in perfectly.
Rolo Badge
The rolo badge looks fantastic in it’s rainbow colour. This pod device is constructed with Zinc Alloy and has a glossy, smooth finish. This finish can either be a pro or a con for you because the glossy metal finish makes it a fingerprint magnet of note. Being metal, it does have some weight to it (62g) and is probably one of the heaviest pod devices you’ll come across. I see SMOK has now launched rubberized finish rolo badges, so these might be lighter than the metal Rolo badge. Although this design looks great, it may not be the best when it comes to ergonomics. Personally, I love the colour and finish of this device but I’m not a fan of it being a fingerprint magnet and picking up dust easily. Being a pod device, it will be in your pocket and so it’s likely to pick up scratches and dust easily. That said, this device is rather small and is guaranteed to fit in almost any pocket size.
On the top side of the device you have the SMOK logo along with a LED indicator light that lights up when your battery dies, when it’s charging or when you are taking a puff. On the side of the device is the micro-usb charging port. The battery capacity on this device is a 250mAh battery and the output wattage is around 10-16w. As the battery depletes, so to does the power.
The pod itself is translucent pod which enables you to see your juice capacity all the time.
To refill the pod on this device, you first have to remove it from the device and open the rubber seal at the base of the pod. On the battery/device where you insert your pod, you will notice a bit of condensation (Not leakage) which occurs after usage. Each time you remove your pod, you should wipe of the condensation.
Infinix:
The infinix is designed similar to other pod devices in the market and it does look great in its sort of metallic finish. This device weighs significantly less than the Rolo badge at just 22g. Due to the design, it is also more ergonomic and feels great when using it. The nice thing about this finish is that it does not catch fingerprints and doesn’t scratch easily.
At the base of your device, you have your USB port for charging the device and in the middle, you will notice the LED Light that functions the same as the Rolo Badge. Like the Rolo badge, the infinix also features a 250mAh battery and outputs 10-16w of power as well. The overall look and feel of this device is excellent. The weight of it does make it an excellent companion when travelling or going out.
The infinix has a small window which allows you to view your liquid levels. Like the Rolo badge, the infinix uses a tiny rubber gasket on the side of the pod which allows you to refill the pod with your preferred juice.
Performance
Rolo Badge vs Infinix
Setting up either of these devices is extremely simple. You simply refill your pod using the injection bottle (Your normal chubby gorilla bottles work just fine as well) and place it on the device. The pod has a magnet at the base which allows it to make contact with the battery/device. Allow some time before using this device because you will need the cotton to be completely saturated to avoid burning it.
The Rolo and Infinix are extremely simple to operate. Both do not have any buttons and are activated by the user taking a puff. In addition to being this simple to use, it is also a MTL (Mouth-to-lung) styled device which is perfect for any smoker trying to switch/transition to vaping. The only requirement for the user is to charge the device, refill the pod and swap out the pod when it’s burnt.
Both the Rolo badge and Infinix have the same battery capacity, output wattage and pod capacity. Since these have a 250mAh battery, you don’t really get a full day’s usage but that isn’t such a big problem as it charges from 0 – 100% in under 30 minutes. The battery life depends on how much you use it. I expected the performance of both these devices to be identical but that was not the case.
Over the period I’ve used these devices, I keep feeling that the Infinix has a bit more oomph to it in terms of power delivery. This may be because the Infinix is more responsive to than the Rolo badge when you are taking a draw. The Infinix seems to not have a ramp up time like the Rolo Badge and therefore, it offers much more superior performance. When it comes to performance, the Infinix wins for me.
Pod Lifespan:
The rolo badge lasted roughly 8 refills before it was burnt. At around refill #6 there is a noticeable drop in performance. The lifespan of the pod will depend on the juices you vape, the VG/PG Ratio and how you vape. If you are using 35mg Nicotine salts, you will probably take short draws, and this will extend the life of your pod.
The infinix lasted about 7 refills with a noticeable drop in performance at the 5th refill. You could use it even after 7 refills, but the hit and flavor just won’t be as good.
Build quality
Rolo vs Infinix
In terms of build quality, the Rolo badge seems much for solid than the Infinix due to its weight and metal body. That said, it is prone to scratches and catches fingerprints easily. The infinix does not feel as solid as the rolo due to it weighing 3 times less than the Rolo badge but is less prone to picking up scratches and is almost completely dust resistant.
Flavor
Rolo vs Infinix
Being a MTL pod system, you can’t expect flavor to be as good as RTA’s or sub-ohm tanks. The primary purpose for pod devices is for getting your nicotine fix. Flavor on both these devices are quite good for a pod system. Using a 50/50 high nicotine strength juice in this device works the best from what I have tried. The 50/50 ratio wicks efficiently and works excellent. When you go up in VG ratio, it does seem to struggle a bit in wicking efficiently. I would say anything higher than 65VG or 70VG will result in poor performance. What you want to use in here is anything above 20mg Nicotine salt juices. Nicotine salt juices are starting to emerge in the South African market, so you should be able to find the juice you need for these devices. Another bonus when using high strength Nicotine Salts is that you will need fewer hits which preserve battery life.
Kit Contents:
Specifications:
Conclusion
The Infinix is an excellent choice if you are on the lookout for a pod device. The infinix has a design that is similar to other popular pod systems in the market and is also refillable which is a major pro. The pods lasted a decent amount of time before needing to be replaced and the flavor was pretty good for a pod device. If it’s looks that you are after, the Rolo Badge is most certainly an eye catcher. If performance is what you favor, you will be much happier with the infinix. My personal pick from the 2 will be the Infinix. The Infinix has got to be my favorite closed pod system.
What’s in the box:
Both the Rolo Badge and Infinix come neatly packed in your typical SMOK box. Inside the box you will find the battery (Device), Two 2ml pods, a USB Cable for charging, an injection bottle for easy refilling and a user manual. Both these devices are offered in variety of colour options and being a SMOK product, more colour options will be added.
Design
Most pod devices usually fall under 3 categories in design; The First category is the odd designs and shapes like the Suorin drop (Tear drop shape) and the Second category is the long, narrow style device like the BO Pod, Phix, Myle, Juul etc. and the Third category are the pod devices like the Mi-Pod etc. It seems that SMOK made each of these devices to fit into these categories and they both fit in perfectly.
Rolo Badge
The rolo badge looks fantastic in it’s rainbow colour. This pod device is constructed with Zinc Alloy and has a glossy, smooth finish. This finish can either be a pro or a con for you because the glossy metal finish makes it a fingerprint magnet of note. Being metal, it does have some weight to it (62g) and is probably one of the heaviest pod devices you’ll come across. I see SMOK has now launched rubberized finish rolo badges, so these might be lighter than the metal Rolo badge. Although this design looks great, it may not be the best when it comes to ergonomics. Personally, I love the colour and finish of this device but I’m not a fan of it being a fingerprint magnet and picking up dust easily. Being a pod device, it will be in your pocket and so it’s likely to pick up scratches and dust easily. That said, this device is rather small and is guaranteed to fit in almost any pocket size.
On the top side of the device you have the SMOK logo along with a LED indicator light that lights up when your battery dies, when it’s charging or when you are taking a puff. On the side of the device is the micro-usb charging port. The battery capacity on this device is a 250mAh battery and the output wattage is around 10-16w. As the battery depletes, so to does the power.
The pod itself is translucent pod which enables you to see your juice capacity all the time.
To refill the pod on this device, you first have to remove it from the device and open the rubber seal at the base of the pod. On the battery/device where you insert your pod, you will notice a bit of condensation (Not leakage) which occurs after usage. Each time you remove your pod, you should wipe of the condensation.
Infinix:
The infinix is designed similar to other pod devices in the market and it does look great in its sort of metallic finish. This device weighs significantly less than the Rolo badge at just 22g. Due to the design, it is also more ergonomic and feels great when using it. The nice thing about this finish is that it does not catch fingerprints and doesn’t scratch easily.
At the base of your device, you have your USB port for charging the device and in the middle, you will notice the LED Light that functions the same as the Rolo Badge. Like the Rolo badge, the infinix also features a 250mAh battery and outputs 10-16w of power as well. The overall look and feel of this device is excellent. The weight of it does make it an excellent companion when travelling or going out.
The infinix has a small window which allows you to view your liquid levels. Like the Rolo badge, the infinix uses a tiny rubber gasket on the side of the pod which allows you to refill the pod with your preferred juice.
Performance
Rolo Badge vs Infinix
Setting up either of these devices is extremely simple. You simply refill your pod using the injection bottle (Your normal chubby gorilla bottles work just fine as well) and place it on the device. The pod has a magnet at the base which allows it to make contact with the battery/device. Allow some time before using this device because you will need the cotton to be completely saturated to avoid burning it.
The Rolo and Infinix are extremely simple to operate. Both do not have any buttons and are activated by the user taking a puff. In addition to being this simple to use, it is also a MTL (Mouth-to-lung) styled device which is perfect for any smoker trying to switch/transition to vaping. The only requirement for the user is to charge the device, refill the pod and swap out the pod when it’s burnt.
Both the Rolo badge and Infinix have the same battery capacity, output wattage and pod capacity. Since these have a 250mAh battery, you don’t really get a full day’s usage but that isn’t such a big problem as it charges from 0 – 100% in under 30 minutes. The battery life depends on how much you use it. I expected the performance of both these devices to be identical but that was not the case.
Over the period I’ve used these devices, I keep feeling that the Infinix has a bit more oomph to it in terms of power delivery. This may be because the Infinix is more responsive to than the Rolo badge when you are taking a draw. The Infinix seems to not have a ramp up time like the Rolo Badge and therefore, it offers much more superior performance. When it comes to performance, the Infinix wins for me.
Pod Lifespan:
The rolo badge lasted roughly 8 refills before it was burnt. At around refill #6 there is a noticeable drop in performance. The lifespan of the pod will depend on the juices you vape, the VG/PG Ratio and how you vape. If you are using 35mg Nicotine salts, you will probably take short draws, and this will extend the life of your pod.
The infinix lasted about 7 refills with a noticeable drop in performance at the 5th refill. You could use it even after 7 refills, but the hit and flavor just won’t be as good.
Build quality
Rolo vs Infinix
In terms of build quality, the Rolo badge seems much for solid than the Infinix due to its weight and metal body. That said, it is prone to scratches and catches fingerprints easily. The infinix does not feel as solid as the rolo due to it weighing 3 times less than the Rolo badge but is less prone to picking up scratches and is almost completely dust resistant.
Flavor
Rolo vs Infinix
Being a MTL pod system, you can’t expect flavor to be as good as RTA’s or sub-ohm tanks. The primary purpose for pod devices is for getting your nicotine fix. Flavor on both these devices are quite good for a pod system. Using a 50/50 high nicotine strength juice in this device works the best from what I have tried. The 50/50 ratio wicks efficiently and works excellent. When you go up in VG ratio, it does seem to struggle a bit in wicking efficiently. I would say anything higher than 65VG or 70VG will result in poor performance. What you want to use in here is anything above 20mg Nicotine salt juices. Nicotine salt juices are starting to emerge in the South African market, so you should be able to find the juice you need for these devices. Another bonus when using high strength Nicotine Salts is that you will need fewer hits which preserve battery life.
Kit Contents:
Specifications:
Conclusion
The Infinix is an excellent choice if you are on the lookout for a pod device. The infinix has a design that is similar to other popular pod systems in the market and is also refillable which is a major pro. The pods lasted a decent amount of time before needing to be replaced and the flavor was pretty good for a pod device. If it’s looks that you are after, the Rolo Badge is most certainly an eye catcher. If performance is what you favor, you will be much happier with the infinix. My personal pick from the 2 will be the Infinix. The Infinix has got to be my favorite closed pod system.
The infinix looks like those BO Pod devices. The Rolo badge looks epic 
I love the color of that device.
