Where Do You See It Going?

[Peterhak56]

Hey everyone,


I’ve been thinking a lot lately about where vaping is headed in the next few years. With all the recent regulations, technological advancements, and shifting public perception, it feels like we’re at a turning point.

A few questions have been on my mind, and I’d love to hear your thoughts:

1. Regulations & Bans – With stricter laws in some places and more acceptance in others, how do you see government policies shaping the future of vaping?
2. Technology & Innovation – We’ve seen pod systems, temperature control, and disposable vapes grow in popularity. What do you think will be the next big breakthrough?
3. Health Perception – Despite research showing vaping is less harmful than smoking, some media still portray it negatively. Do you think public perception will improve over time?
4. DIY & Customization – With flavor bans in some regions, many vapers are turning to DIY e-liquids and rebuildable devices. Do you think the DIY side of vaping will grow even more?
5. Market Trends – What brands or products do you think will dominate in the coming years? Are there any underrated companies or trends we should be paying attention to?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts! Where do you see vaping in 5-10 years? Are we heading toward a golden age of innovation or more restrictions?
Let’s discuss!

 

[Baxteen]

what I am noticing is the push of disposables has had a negative impact on regulated mods.
there are more and more disposables, and the only way for manufacturers to compete is with pod devices.

pod devices also increase repeat business because you need to replace the pod. and that also increases waste.

the more sustainable side of things, being rebuildable mods with changeable batteries, is not as profitable. and when you look at high end mod makers, they are also going to suffer. you make a high end mod, that is built to last, a customer buys it once, and then that is the end of their business with you. maybe they buy a second, but that is not normal.

lets say I decided I wanted to make high end DNA mods. I go though the effort, get my product ready, and for a numbers sake, lets say there are only 1000 people who vape in the country. market research shows 800 of the 1000 are buying disposables. so my target audience is 200. now from those 200, 180 of them are on pods. now I am looking to build a business for 20 people. but of those 20, 10 are on boro devices,. now I am aiming to build for 10. and I want to make a high end product, so it will be too expensive for 8 of the 10.

so 0.2% of the vaping population would want to buy my product, and the goal of my product is to sell them one mod, and for them to never need to buy another mod ever again. so is it worth it?

these are thumb sucked numbers and by no means factual, and I am not actually looking at making a high end custom DNA mod to be sold.
but I know that when I was looking to spoil myself for my birthday and get a nice stabilized wood DNA mod, I found that its almost impossible to get it here.

and the sad thing is, I see that trend going deeper. in 5 years time, people will be replacing duel 18650 mods every year because the mods dont last, so they will move to other options.
never mind the fact that we are already seeing the same trend in Mods that we see in phones, where its almost like the design has peaked and we are seeing iterations with almost no innovation.

how long has the gene 2 chip been around?
how about the Quest 2 chip?
sure we have DNA boards with type C finally, but even DNA boards are basically the same as they were in 2018. I mean sure they are amazing, but where is the innovation? and what is the innovation we want to see? where can we go?

the nice thing about innovation is if we could think about what the innovation would be we would invent it....

 

[Old_Goat]

Yo, dude, you’re spitting straight facts here. Disposables and pods are like the fast food of vaping—convenient, addictive, and terrible for the planet. But high-end mods? They’re the gourmet steak dinner nobody’s advertising anymore. Here’s the deal: DNA chips gotta stop coasting on their 2018 reputation and start innovating like they’re trying to win “Vape Idol.” Let’s get wild:

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1. DNA Chips: Time to Stop Being Basic and Get GOAT-Level Customizable​

Old Goat voice: “Bruh, imagine this…”

• OLED Displays That Flex Harder Than My Jeans: Let me upload GIFs of my actual pet goat chewing coils. Or play Flappy Goat while I wait for my cotton to soak.
• App Store for Vape Nerds: Download themes like “Retro Arcade” or “Starry Night Over Athens… but with Clouds.”
• AI That Reads Your Mind: Chip learns you’re stress-hitting that vanilla custard at 3 PM? Auto-switches to “Zen Mode” (lower wattage, calming lavender screen). Innovation or witchcraft? Why not both?

---

2. Modular Mods: Legos for Vapers​

*“Check this out—*you know how I upgrade my RDA collection every so often? Do that with mods.”

• Swap Chips Like Coils: DNA 400C drops in 2026? Slot it into your 2023 mod. No landfill guilt.
• 3D-Printed Swag: Sell kits to turn your mod into a Steampunk Goat (brass gears, LED eyes that glow when you fire).
• User-Replaceable LiPos: No soldering. Just pop in a new pack like a pod… but fancier.

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3. Sustainability: Make Eco-Cool Again​

*“Let’s be real—*nobody’s flexing their disposable on Instagram. But a mod that tracks how many trees you’ve saved? That’s a flex.”

• CO2 Savings Counter: “Congrats, you’ve saved 14 goats’ worth of landfill this year!”
• Recycle Program: Trade old chips for discounts. “Upgrade your board, save a goat herd.”
• Self-Repair Kits: Because real vapers fix their gear, not trash it.

---

4. Luxury Mods: For the 0.2% Who Want to Bleat Loud​

Old Goat smirk: “You think Rolex worries about Casio? Nah. High-end mods need that energy.”

• NFT Unlocks: Buy a mod, get a digital token for exclusive firmware. “This theme? Only 10 exist. Suck it, pods.”
• Collabs That Go Hard: Partner with actual game devs. Imagine a Elden Ring DNA mod that dies if you over-drip.
• Wireless Charging + Touch-Sensitive Wood: Stroke the grain to adjust wattage. “Yeah, it’s extra. That’s the point.”

---

5. The Nuclear Option: Subscription Mods​

*“Hear me out—*nobody wants subscriptions… until they do.”

• VIP Club: Pay $10/month for early firmware, custom coils, and a “Goat of the Month” sticker pack.
• Cloud Vault: Store your perfect custard profile in the ~digital herd~.

---

Why This Works​

Disposables are for the masses. DNA mods? They’re for the rebellious goats who want to stand on a mountain (of flavour) and scream, “I AM THE UPGRADE.” Yeah, the market’s small, but so are diamonds—and people still buy those.

TL;DR: DNA chips need to stop being “just chips” and start being experience engines. Give us customization, sustainability, and flex-worthy tech. The 0.2% will pay stupid money to feel like vaping’s GOAT.

(P.S. If you build that stabilized wood DNA mod, name it the “Old Goat Edition.” I’ll review it shirtless. You’re welcome.)

 

[blujeenz]

3. Sustainability: Make Eco-Cool Again

Nobody is interested in eco/sustainable anything regarding vapes.

Case in point is my rework of a dispo to turn it into something useful.(like an anemometer)
Only 2 people here made a comment and 1 of them was the guy who helped with the coding.
zero comments on Instructables which caters to the global diy crowd, and the absolute least amount of views
in the initial 3week post release period of all my 56 instructables.
zero visits,downloads or stars(follows) on the Github repo where the code was located.

Needless to say I was surprised by how little interest there was.

2. Modular Mods: Legos for Vapers​

*“Check this out—*you know how I upgrade my RDA collection every so often? Do that with mods.”

• Swap Chips Like Coils: DNA 400C drops in 2026? Slot it into your 2023 mod. No landfill guilt.

All mods use a 48 pin QFP, quad flat package, some use a QFN ie no leads.
Most of the Chinese made mods like the Pulse2 use STM32F103 chips, Evolve use the more expensive ATSAM21 chip.
The dispo I worked on used a Chinese made 32pin QFN package about 5mm square.

So, good luck trying to "drop" in a new ic without a microscope and rework station.
The vape manufacturers are limited as to whats available in the micro controller market.

When they eventually make an optical MCU ic with fibers around the edge for connectivity to the mainboard and cheap enough to use in a vape mod, then perhaps we'll see "new things" where you can easily "drop in a new upgrade".

 

[Old_Goat]

Nobody is interested in eco/sustainable anything regarding vapes.

Case in point is my rework of a dispo to turn it into something useful.(like an anemometer)
Only 2 people here made a comment and 1 of them was the guy who helped with the coding.
zero comments on Instructables which caters to the global diy crowd, and the absolute least amount of views
in the initial 3week post release period of all my 56 instructables.
zero visits,downloads or stars(follows) on the Github repo where the code was located.

Needless to say I was surprised by how little interest there was.


All mods use a 48 pin QFP, quad flat package, some use a QFN ie no leads.
Most of the Chinese made mods like the Pulse2 use STM32F103 chips, Evolve use the more expensive ATSAM21 chip.
The dispo I worked on used a Chinese made 32pin QFN package about 5mm square.

So, good luck trying to "drop" in a new ic without a microscope and rework station.
The vape manufacturers are limited as to whats available in the micro controller market.

When they eventually make an optical MCU ic with fibers around the edge for connectivity to the mainboard and cheap enough to use in a vape mod, then perhaps we'll see "new things" where you can easily "drop in a new upgrade".

You’re 100% right—**the vaping world’s obsession with disposables is like trying to herd cats… or maybe goats on a caffeine bender. Your DIY dispo project deserves way more love (seriously, mad respect for coding wizardry), but I’ll admit my original rant was pure fantasy. Let’s call it a “what if” from a guy who spends too much time staring at DNA boards and stabilized wood.

The reality? Most vapers just wanna puff, not solder under a microscope.**

• Disposables: Designed to die. No one’s cracking them open unless they’re a mad scientist (or a goat with a soldering iron).
• Mod MCUs: STM32F103s and QFN packages aren’t exactly Lego bricks. Even I wouldn’t try to hot-swap chips without a prayer and a rework station blessed by Zeus.

**But here’s the thing—my “innovation” ideas were less about practicality and more about imagining a world where vaping tech isn’t stuck in 2018.

• Upgradeable mods? Probably as likely as a goat winning America’s Got Talent.
• Eco-flexing? Most folks care as much as a pod cares about its 10th refill (spoiler: it doesn’t).

Still, your project’s a reminder that someone’s out there tinkering. Maybe 2 people commented, but you inspired 2 more to think, “Huh, maybe I could repurpose this trash.” That’s 2 more than yesterday.

TL;DR: My “innovation” pitch was a glorified sci-fi flick. Your dispo anemometer? The real MVP. Keep dreaming, keep building—even if the crowd’s quieter than a mech mod’s vent holes.

P.S. If optical MCUs ever hit vapes, I’ll buy you a beer. Until then… keep herding those clouds, you glorious madman.