I had been looking for a comparison like this for a little while, and have yet to find one. So, what better way to get the info than to buy both models and review them? 
I'll start off with my background: I've been smoking Kamel Reds since they were reintroduced in 1996 and I started on Camel Wides around '91. I found my way here after my wife's cousin ordered a Blu. I was impressed, so I ordered one and waited... and waited... and in the meantime, found myself here. After a few days, I cancelled my Blu order and picked up the M402 from LiteCig.
I had some serious adjustment problems early on, what with breaking in attys, getting used to primer, finding liquid I liked, etc. Within about four days, I got myself pretty well sorted out.
"So why get a black Evo if you have an M402?" you ask? For starters, I really hate the gold smoke design on the 402's. But I was intrigued by Intellicig insisting that they improved on the M series design. I figured, if it was true, great. If not, it's not a huge investment, and I already like the M402.
Based on exchange rates, I decided to order from a US company, and came across Innovapor.
"Shut up and get to the meat." Got it.
First Impressions
Personally, I think the Evo looks much nicer than the M402. A big part of this has to do with my dislike of the gold "smoke" design on the M402 battery, and the relatively large gold band on the atomizer. As far as the Evo battery being something completely special and different, I'm not very convinced. The "ash" design is identical.
The atomizer on the Evo looks a bit wider than the M402. I'm basing this not only on the two units assembled, but also in comparing the extra atomizers side-by-side.
In all, the Evo seems more "solid" than the M402. The atomizer doesn't easily come loose, and (this could be completely psychological) it feels a little heavier.
The Atomizer
One of the biggest selling points (if not the biggest selling point) of the Evo is their atomizer. And, I've got to say, they're on to something.
The first thing I noticed was that there was minimal primer taste on the Evo, where the M402 took about a day for it to go away.
The next thing is the draw. The draw on the Evo is much harder than the M402. The M402 draw isn't much harder than sucking air through a straw, where the Evo is almost as hard as drawing liquid through a straw.
Another minor note: the sound is a bit different, too. The M402 makes a definite hollow sounding noise when you draw, where the Evo is just about silent.
The Carts
The Evo carts are a little different than what I had received with my M402. I'll edit this later with pictures, but the Evo carts have a 1-2 mm "platform" of empty space at the bottom of the polyfill holder. The regular M402 holders seem to be supported by three "wings" on the sides.
The polyfill in the M402 carts looked quite flimsy compared to the Evo. However, I'm finding that I'm constantly topping off my Evo carts.
Vapor Hit
I've gotta say, it's just about the same on both. I'm using Very High EcoPure Rich on both PV's, and the hit is just about the same. The biggest difference I've noticed is that the hit is harsher, and more cigarette-like on the M402, while the actual vapor production seems higher on the Evo and the taste is a bit smoother.
Battery Life
While I'm not convinced that the Evo batteries don't come out of the same Chinese factory the M402 batteries do, they really are different in terms of performance.
The M402 batteries last a good five hours or so, if I use them with the same frequency as a cigarette. The Evo, on the other hand, is incredible. I can go almost an entire day with one Evo battery.
Ordering Experience
Having found my way to this forum as someone who ordered (and subsequently cancelled), I lurked for a while to find places that people seemed happy to do business with.
LiteCig and Innovapor were both incredible. Both companies had the items to my door within two days of ordering.
Shawn at LiteCig included some nice gifts with my order, as did Noah at Innovapor. I can't guarantee that will be everyone's experience, but I didn't contact either seller before ordering, so it wasn't like I was hitting anybody up for freebies.
I noticed late Saturday night / Sunday morning that Innovapor had started a $35 off all kits promo, and whined a little bit. Within the hour (and really, we're talking like 2 - 3 a.m. here), Noah had PM'ed me and not only honored the promo, but gave me more than I had asked for.
Short of saying "take anything you want, for free", I don't even know how to improve on the service I received there.
Conclusion / Recommendation
Is the black Evo different from the M402? Yes. The Evo looks cleaner, seems to be built a little better, and produces more vapor.
On the other hand, the M402 costs less, has parts that are a bit easier to find, and has a harsher throat hit.
If you're on the fence and cost is a factor, you really can't go wrong with LiteCig's M402 kits. I didn't see anyone trustworthy who was selling them for less.
But if you can swing a few bucks more, I'd tell you to hit Innovapor's site, and take advantage of their promo right now. What they're selling for $75 is nuts.
And if you're a complete first-timer, without question, I'd tell you to go to Innovapor for an Evo kit. Even with the research I had been doing, the M402 was still a disaster when I started using it. The starting curve on the Evo is much smaller, in my opinion.
I'll start off with my background: I've been smoking Kamel Reds since they were reintroduced in 1996 and I started on Camel Wides around '91. I found my way here after my wife's cousin ordered a Blu. I was impressed, so I ordered one and waited... and waited... and in the meantime, found myself here. After a few days, I cancelled my Blu order and picked up the M402 from LiteCig.
I had some serious adjustment problems early on, what with breaking in attys, getting used to primer, finding liquid I liked, etc. Within about four days, I got myself pretty well sorted out.
"So why get a black Evo if you have an M402?" you ask? For starters, I really hate the gold smoke design on the 402's. But I was intrigued by Intellicig insisting that they improved on the M series design. I figured, if it was true, great. If not, it's not a huge investment, and I already like the M402.
Based on exchange rates, I decided to order from a US company, and came across Innovapor.
"Shut up and get to the meat." Got it.
First Impressions
Personally, I think the Evo looks much nicer than the M402. A big part of this has to do with my dislike of the gold "smoke" design on the M402 battery, and the relatively large gold band on the atomizer. As far as the Evo battery being something completely special and different, I'm not very convinced. The "ash" design is identical.
The atomizer on the Evo looks a bit wider than the M402. I'm basing this not only on the two units assembled, but also in comparing the extra atomizers side-by-side.
In all, the Evo seems more "solid" than the M402. The atomizer doesn't easily come loose, and (this could be completely psychological) it feels a little heavier.
The Atomizer
One of the biggest selling points (if not the biggest selling point) of the Evo is their atomizer. And, I've got to say, they're on to something.
The first thing I noticed was that there was minimal primer taste on the Evo, where the M402 took about a day for it to go away.
The next thing is the draw. The draw on the Evo is much harder than the M402. The M402 draw isn't much harder than sucking air through a straw, where the Evo is almost as hard as drawing liquid through a straw.
Another minor note: the sound is a bit different, too. The M402 makes a definite hollow sounding noise when you draw, where the Evo is just about silent.
The Carts
The Evo carts are a little different than what I had received with my M402. I'll edit this later with pictures, but the Evo carts have a 1-2 mm "platform" of empty space at the bottom of the polyfill holder. The regular M402 holders seem to be supported by three "wings" on the sides.
The polyfill in the M402 carts looked quite flimsy compared to the Evo. However, I'm finding that I'm constantly topping off my Evo carts.
Vapor Hit
I've gotta say, it's just about the same on both. I'm using Very High EcoPure Rich on both PV's, and the hit is just about the same. The biggest difference I've noticed is that the hit is harsher, and more cigarette-like on the M402, while the actual vapor production seems higher on the Evo and the taste is a bit smoother.
Battery Life
While I'm not convinced that the Evo batteries don't come out of the same Chinese factory the M402 batteries do, they really are different in terms of performance.
The M402 batteries last a good five hours or so, if I use them with the same frequency as a cigarette. The Evo, on the other hand, is incredible. I can go almost an entire day with one Evo battery.
Ordering Experience
Having found my way to this forum as someone who ordered (and subsequently cancelled), I lurked for a while to find places that people seemed happy to do business with.
LiteCig and Innovapor were both incredible. Both companies had the items to my door within two days of ordering.
Shawn at LiteCig included some nice gifts with my order, as did Noah at Innovapor. I can't guarantee that will be everyone's experience, but I didn't contact either seller before ordering, so it wasn't like I was hitting anybody up for freebies.
I noticed late Saturday night / Sunday morning that Innovapor had started a $35 off all kits promo, and whined a little bit. Within the hour (and really, we're talking like 2 - 3 a.m. here), Noah had PM'ed me and not only honored the promo, but gave me more than I had asked for.
Short of saying "take anything you want, for free", I don't even know how to improve on the service I received there.
Conclusion / Recommendation
Is the black Evo different from the M402? Yes. The Evo looks cleaner, seems to be built a little better, and produces more vapor.
On the other hand, the M402 costs less, has parts that are a bit easier to find, and has a harsher throat hit.
If you're on the fence and cost is a factor, you really can't go wrong with LiteCig's M402 kits. I didn't see anyone trustworthy who was selling them for less.
But if you can swing a few bucks more, I'd tell you to hit Innovapor's site, and take advantage of their promo right now. What they're selling for $75 is nuts.
And if you're a complete first-timer, without question, I'd tell you to go to Innovapor for an Evo kit. Even with the research I had been doing, the M402 was still a disaster when I started using it. The starting curve on the Evo is much smaller, in my opinion.
