GeekVape Aegis Solo III Mod - Review by Ben28
- By Ben28
- Device Reviews
- 0 Replies
GeekVape Aegis Solo III
A few months ago, GeekVape released the new Legend III, a very rugged mod that accepted dual 18650 batteries. However, I'm a bit simpler and a fan of single-battery mods due to their portability, size, and feel in hand. Because of this, I asked the guys at Healthcabin for the new Aegis Solo 3, which is basically the single-battery version of the Legend III.
Thanks to Healthcabin for making this review possible. You can visit their website to learn more about the Aegis Solo 3.
Thanks to Healthcabin for making this review possible. You can visit their website to learn more about the Aegis Solo 3.
Brand | |
Product Name | Aegis Solo 3 Mod |
Size | H 86.93, W 40.81mm |
Working Mode | SMART, POWER, BOOSTING, MEMORY, ECO, TCR |
Output Power | 5W-100W |
Max Output Current | 32A |
Max Output Voltage | 7.5V |
Charging Port | USB Type-C; 5V/2A |
Battery Type | External single 18650(not included) |
Resistance Of Atomizer | 0.1ohm-3ohm |
Display | 0.96 inch screen |
Operating Temperature | 0℃~45℃ |
Charging Temperature | 0℃~45℃ |
Packing Size | 81*60*135mm (1pc) |
Color | Titanium Gray, Golden Blue, Dark Gray, Black, Silver, Purple, Green, Red, Blue, Rainbow |
Packaging
On the front, we see a prominent photo of the device. This is the first thing that catches our eye, and the packaging and photo change depending on the color we choose for our device. At the top, we find some branding, and at the bottom, we see the model name, its maximum wattage, and the chosen color. Again, GeekVape combines black with orange and white as the base colors for their packaging.
On the back, we first find a description of the device. Just below that, we see its features. A little further down, we'll find the box contents, along with some contact addresses, warnings, a barcode, and a QR code with a scratch check for authenticity.
In the box:
1* Mod (Aegis Solo III)
1* USB Type-C Cable
1* Manual
In the box:
1* Mod (Aegis Solo III)
1* USB Type-C Cable
1* Manual
Device
I'm going to describe what I consider to be the front of the device, the area where you'll find the firing button, the screen, and the adjustment buttons. I'll describe it from top to bottom.
At the very top, we have the charging port, protected by a silicone flap that also features a small metal plate in the center. Two important things to remember: first, it's not recommended to use the device's charging port to charge external batteries; it's always better to have a separate charger for that purpose. Second, this device boasts an IP68 rating, meaning it should be resistant to shocks, water, and dust. That's why the silicone flap for the charging port is implemented.
Moving down a bit, we find the firing button. Again, GeekVape has adopted what I'd call a peculiar shape, but one that fits the finger impeccably—you'll appreciate this much more from the side view. The button has a very, very subtle click and a medium travel distance. When we discuss the screen in the next image, I'll also cover the functions accessible via this button.
Between the firing button and the power adjustment buttons is where the screen is located. In this case, it's a 0.96-inch display, which is quite common on almost all devices. Regarding the screen itself, I must say that I find the brightness to be very, very low—practically imperceptible in direct sunlight, which I absolutely don't like. However, something I do appreciate is the redesigned UI, which we'll discuss later.
Finally, we have the power adjustment buttons. Along with the firing button, these will serve to, obviously, adjust the wattage and also access the menus. These buttons barely protrude; they're "embedded" in this front section. They have a very short travel distance and, again, a very subtle click. Honestly, I find it uncomfortable that the buttons are like this; I prefer them to stick out, even slightly, as I find them easier to access.
At the very top, we have the charging port, protected by a silicone flap that also features a small metal plate in the center. Two important things to remember: first, it's not recommended to use the device's charging port to charge external batteries; it's always better to have a separate charger for that purpose. Second, this device boasts an IP68 rating, meaning it should be resistant to shocks, water, and dust. That's why the silicone flap for the charging port is implemented.
Moving down a bit, we find the firing button. Again, GeekVape has adopted what I'd call a peculiar shape, but one that fits the finger impeccably—you'll appreciate this much more from the side view. The button has a very, very subtle click and a medium travel distance. When we discuss the screen in the next image, I'll also cover the functions accessible via this button.
Between the firing button and the power adjustment buttons is where the screen is located. In this case, it's a 0.96-inch display, which is quite common on almost all devices. Regarding the screen itself, I must say that I find the brightness to be very, very low—practically imperceptible in direct sunlight, which I absolutely don't like. However, something I do appreciate is the redesigned UI, which we'll discuss later.
Finally, we have the power adjustment buttons. Along with the firing button, these will serve to, obviously, adjust the wattage and also access the menus. These buttons barely protrude; they're "embedded" in this front section. They have a very short travel distance and, again, a very subtle click. Honestly, I find it uncomfortable that the buttons are like this; I prefer them to stick out, even slightly, as I find them easier to access.
Let's move on to the screen, one of the basic factors of such a device. I'm going to describe it again, from top to bottom.
At the top, we find a battery indicator by slots, as well as by percentage. In total, it's composed of 5 slots (20% each) and the percentage counter updates in 10% increments. Again, it's something I would have done differently but it's simply a perhaps somewhat subjective note. If you do it in 10 by 10, why don't you make it update directly in "real time"?
Just below, we can find information about the vaping mode we are in, in the case of the image, "POWER". Taking advantage of the moment, why not describe them, right?
- SMART ; Mode that is only usable for GeekVape's own coils. This mode will adjust the power based on the resistance's ohmage.
- POWER ; The classic mode, the one from forever. We simply adjust the power in Watts and vape.
- BOOSTING ; The BYPASS mode we all know, the power is calculated based on the battery's voltage and resistance, that is, we have no power over it, it will try to get the most out of the battery.
- ECO ; Tries to minimize power based on resistance. In my opinion, it looks more like a BYPASS mode than an ECO mode as the name indicates.
- TC-TCR ; Gives us the ability to adjust the power and desired temperature of the coil in a range of 5-100W and 100-315 degrees Celsius.
I have left the MEMORY mode for last; in this mode, we can choose between 5 pre-saved memories. In this way, if for example we use the TC-TCR mode and don't want to adjust it every now and then, we simply save it to memory and use it.
Below the mode we are vaping in, we generally find the power (if it's POWER mode). Just below that, we can see the ohmage, the voltage, and a puff counter that turns into a puff duration counter while we press the button.
After having completed the screen description, we move on to the functions;
- 5 Clicks to turn the device on or off.
- 3 Clicks to access the functions menu.
The menu functions are;
- Mode ; Here we can choose between SMART, POWER, BOOSTING, MEMORY, ECO and TC-TCR.
- Lock-Settings ; We can choose between TOUCH LOCK, BUTTON LOCK (only locks the power adjustment buttons) and UNLOCK.
- Puffs ; Simply serves to reset the puff counter.
- Color ; To change the interface color, we have BLACK-WHITE, BLUE, ORANGE, PURPLE and PINK available.
- Bright ; To change the screen brightness by a percentage ranging from 0-100%.
Well, now that I've described the functions, I want to talk about the touch lock mode. This lock mode completely locks the device if it doesn't feel anything on its backside, and unlocks it when it does feel something. What's the problem with this? Well, as I've checked, if I put the liquid bottle behind it, it detects it and unlocks. And what's the problem you might say? Generally, I carry both the bottle and the device in the same pocket, if I have touch lock activated, it's possible that the liquid bottle unlocks the device in my pocket and it fires and no, I'm not saying it as a possibility, I'm saying it as an empirical fact, it has happened to me. It is not pleasant to put your hand in to grab your device and realize that it has been firing and that the atomizer is burning hot. So for me, this lock mode is a clear no-no.
At the top, we find a battery indicator by slots, as well as by percentage. In total, it's composed of 5 slots (20% each) and the percentage counter updates in 10% increments. Again, it's something I would have done differently but it's simply a perhaps somewhat subjective note. If you do it in 10 by 10, why don't you make it update directly in "real time"?
Just below, we can find information about the vaping mode we are in, in the case of the image, "POWER". Taking advantage of the moment, why not describe them, right?
- SMART ; Mode that is only usable for GeekVape's own coils. This mode will adjust the power based on the resistance's ohmage.
- POWER ; The classic mode, the one from forever. We simply adjust the power in Watts and vape.
- BOOSTING ; The BYPASS mode we all know, the power is calculated based on the battery's voltage and resistance, that is, we have no power over it, it will try to get the most out of the battery.
- ECO ; Tries to minimize power based on resistance. In my opinion, it looks more like a BYPASS mode than an ECO mode as the name indicates.
- TC-TCR ; Gives us the ability to adjust the power and desired temperature of the coil in a range of 5-100W and 100-315 degrees Celsius.
I have left the MEMORY mode for last; in this mode, we can choose between 5 pre-saved memories. In this way, if for example we use the TC-TCR mode and don't want to adjust it every now and then, we simply save it to memory and use it.
Below the mode we are vaping in, we generally find the power (if it's POWER mode). Just below that, we can see the ohmage, the voltage, and a puff counter that turns into a puff duration counter while we press the button.
After having completed the screen description, we move on to the functions;
- 5 Clicks to turn the device on or off.
- 3 Clicks to access the functions menu.
The menu functions are;
- Mode ; Here we can choose between SMART, POWER, BOOSTING, MEMORY, ECO and TC-TCR.
- Lock-Settings ; We can choose between TOUCH LOCK, BUTTON LOCK (only locks the power adjustment buttons) and UNLOCK.
- Puffs ; Simply serves to reset the puff counter.
- Color ; To change the interface color, we have BLACK-WHITE, BLUE, ORANGE, PURPLE and PINK available.
- Bright ; To change the screen brightness by a percentage ranging from 0-100%.
Well, now that I've described the functions, I want to talk about the touch lock mode. This lock mode completely locks the device if it doesn't feel anything on its backside, and unlocks it when it does feel something. What's the problem with this? Well, as I've checked, if I put the liquid bottle behind it, it detects it and unlocks. And what's the problem you might say? Generally, I carry both the bottle and the device in the same pocket, if I have touch lock activated, it's possible that the liquid bottle unlocks the device in my pocket and it fires and no, I'm not saying it as a possibility, I'm saying it as an empirical fact, it has happened to me. It is not pleasant to put your hand in to grab your device and realize that it has been firing and that the atomizer is burning hot. So for me, this lock mode is a clear no-no.
Here I show you an image of the side/back of the device. As you can see, it follows a very similar aesthetic to the Aegis Solo II, however, I must admit I like this one much more. The device features a "protection," in this case colored silver and held by 4 screws. We also find a padded part that feels very good once held in hand. It's slightly soft but feels solid when applying a little pressure.
In this padded area is where the sensor is located that detects whether there is something in front of it or not, and in that way unlocks or locks the device. Again, a feature I don't like at all.
As for the materials, the silver-colored insert is made of some metal, probably zinc alloy. The rest of the mod is probably created from plastic, although it actually seems resistant. The only bad thing about these devices is the paint, and there are hundreds and hundreds of cases of Legends and Aegis where the paint starts to chip after several months of use. If you are looking for a mod that maintains its aesthetic, this is not yours.
In this padded area is where the sensor is located that detects whether there is something in front of it or not, and in that way unlocks or locks the device. Again, a feature I don't like at all.
As for the materials, the silver-colored insert is made of some metal, probably zinc alloy. The rest of the mod is probably created from plastic, although it actually seems resistant. The only bad thing about these devices is the paint, and there are hundreds and hundreds of cases of Legends and Aegis where the paint starts to chip after several months of use. If you are looking for a mod that maintains its aesthetic, this is not yours.
The atomizer's threading is screwed to the mod with three star-shaped screws. As you know, there were cases in previous devices where this part tended to come loose over time. In this unit, it seems unlikely to happen; we now have a completely metallic plate that appears to be well-screwed, though only time will tell if that issue persists.
At the bottom of the device, we find the battery compartment. It's secured by a screw-on cap. In this case, the threading is quite short, and it also features an O-ring to ensure the compartment is completely sealed. The battery fits very well with no rattling whatsoever; it doesn't feel loose at all.
Vaping Time
After mounting an Oumier Wasp Nano with a handmade coil at 0.25Ω and vaping at a power of 50W.
Let's first talk about the feel in hand. It feels like a very, very solid mod, with a quite considerable weight, which I like to feel in my hand. The padded part feels very good in hand, it feels very comfortable and soft.
As for vaping, I notice that this mod has a very, very considerable power loss as the battery charge depletes. I know this is usual and I understand it, but it doesn't happen so exaggeratedly with other mods. When the device is around 30%, the power decrease becomes very noticeable.
I can't say it's a bad mod, but the fact that the power decreases so much from a not-so-low battery percentage is something I don't like at all. Generally, with a mod, I have to change the battery once a day, meaning I use two full charges. With this mod, I have to do two battery changes, meaning three full charges.
As a curious side note, I accidentally spilled a significant amount of water on the mod. After quickly drying it and thoroughly checking the battery compartment, there wasn't a drop of water, and it's still working perfectly to this day after more than five thousand puffs.
Pros And Cons
Pros | Cons |
Durability (IP68 Rating) | Significant Power Loss at Lower Battery |
Versatile Vaping Modes | Low Screen Brightness |
Secure Battery Compartment | Touch Lock Feature Flaws |
Conclusion
The Aegis Solo 3 is a tough, comfortable single-battery mod with an IP68 rating, feeling great in hand with an improved screen. However, it noticeably loses power as the battery drains, has a dim screen, and a problematic "touch lock" that frequently unlocks itself. Combined with potential paint chipping, these issues make it less consistently reliable for daily use despite its durability and portability.
