I think its a mix.
The atomiser is slightly diferent - nothing huge, but (and I can only compare to smokster's atomisers) the bridge seems larger (not pulled one apart to examine a coil yet) and the hole placement 'will' change the way airflow passes over the coil (ergo affect the way vapour is produced and sent up the mouthpiece).
Also, although the battery time isn't that much greater (I find it about the same to be honest, but then as a true pipe smoker - I am murder on batteries anyway) the power delivered is slightly higher, (thats amps not volts) & I find it heats my atomisers more than even a passthrough. (quite a lot more)
Tooling for 'these' atomisers might be slightly better,(but I'll reserve judgment till I try a couple more) or the coil wire might even come from a different supplier and have a slightly different composite mix. Also with items this small, even tight tollerences could make quite a big diference in performance - which would help explain the large diference in even the same co's atomisers (I'm was originally trained as a toolmaker, and also done my time in r&d)
But so far. I am finding it exceeds all my pens with or without passthrough. With the exception of one lucky mix of one of Smokesters pen atomisers (which has always been without a collar) and the mini pipe - but that has always been an exceptional atomiser. Other experiments by me in this line have produced mixed results.
Design wise (for e-pipes) I think it is heading in the right direction (unlike the ruyan one) - we're not there yet, but I can see a (few) ways it could go.