Hi ECF members, In this review i take a look at the Smok Species 230W Touch Screen TC Kit with TFV8 Baby V2 from smok. The Species 230W Touch Screen TC Kit with TFV8 Baby V2 was supplied for the purpose of this review by Ruby from smok.
SPECIES Kit - SMOK® Innovation keeps changing the vaping experience!
Introduction
The Species is a 230W dual 18650 touch screen device with a large colour screen, despite having a touch screen which works great the Species is average sized for a dual 18650 device. It has a very nice shape to it very gradually getting both wider and broader from bottom to top which allows for the accommodation of big tanks. In this kit it is paired with the new TFV8 Baby V2 which comes with lock mechanism, improvements to the top fill system, larger capacity (standard version) and large tri airflow. So i will crack on and get on with the review.
In the Box
Contents:
Standard Edition:
1x SMOK Species Mod
1x TFV8 Baby V2 Tank- 5ml
1x Baby V2 A1 0.17ohm Single Coil (Pre-installed)
1x Baby V2 A2 0.2ohm Dual Coil
1x Replacement Glass Tube
1x USB Cable
1x User Manual
Spare Parts
EU Edition:
1x SMOK Species Mod
1x TFV8 Baby V2 Tank- 2ml
1x Baby V2 A1 0.17ohm Single Coil (Pre-installed)
1x Baby V2 A2 0.2ohm Dual Coil
1x USB Cable
1x User Manual
Spare Parts
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Species Kit comes in usual Smok type packaging and when opened i was met by a very aesthetically pleasing device which on further inspection is also very well made with no rattles whatsoever. I received the Gold Black version it's also available in Black and Prism Chrome, Red Black, White Red, Prism Blue Black, Black Red, Green Black and Black & 7-Colour, all devices come with a matching TFV8 Baby V2 tank. The front of the device has a large Black panel which at the top gets extended with 2 strips that go over the top of the device and around the back to surround the back honeycomb design finish, the rest of the device is coloured metallic Gold. On the front "SMOK" is printed at the top and below this we have a large colour touch screen, further down is the Black lock button followed by the micro USB port. One side houses the large fire bar the other is featureless, the battery door has etched safety stamps, a Black catch for opening the door and the door is also fitted in a way to allow for venting. The top of the device has a central 510 plate with Gold plated, spring loaded 510. The device is larger at the top than bottom as it very gradually slopes outwards on the sides and even more gradually front and back, the sides are also rounded off making the device with it's fire bar extremely comfortable to hold and fire using a squeezing motion.
TFV8 Baby V2 Specs and Features:
Size: 30.0mm x 54mm
Capacity: 5ml (EU 2ml version of the tank)
Resistance: Baby V2 A1 0.17-ohm Single Mesh Coil
Baby V2 A2 0.2-ohm Dual Mesh Coil
Body Material: Stainless Steel
Tank Material: Pyrex Glass
Patented Locking Mechanism
Better Airflow System
16mm V2 Baby Exclusive Delrin Drip Tip
Antibacterial Medical Cotton
Top Refill System and Leak-proof
New Baby V2 Coils A1/A2/A3
Thread: 510
Colours: Stainless Steel, Red, White, Prism Blue, Matte Black, Gold, Green, 7-Colour
TFV8 Baby V2 Overview
The TFV8 Baby V2 is the long awaited update to the TFV8 Baby that seems to of been around forever. I am not going to go into great detail as the TFV8 Baby has been reviewed so many times i really only see it necessary to point out the changes to the tank. The top of the tank has had a lot of work done to it with a lock mechanism added like we have on the prince, the seal has also been moved to the underside of the top-cap and the fill port is far bigger, so far so good. At the bottom of the tank we now have tri airflow slots and they are very wide, the protruding 510 is Gold plated and non adjustable. The tank is short in comparison to it's diameter which allows for a straight glass making the capacity TPD compliant, it also means the bulge glass that takes the standard version to 5ml bulges out quite far, i actually like the look. I am not a fan of the drip tip, it's a sleeve that fits over the central protruding section on top of the tank, this section has o-rings to secure the sleeve. The drip tip is comfortable enough but i like the option of using my own which isn't possible. The two coils included with the kit are both mesh coils, they are the Baby V2 A1 0.17-ohm Single Mesh Coil rated at between 90w and 140w with best between 110w and 130w, the other coil is the Baby V2 A2 0.2-ohm Dual Mesh Coil which is rated between 70w and 120w with a best between 85w and 105w.
Species Specs and Features:
Size: 82.1 x 49 x 30.6mm
Material: Zinc Alloy
Battery: 2x 18650 battery (not included)
Power Range: 1W-230W
Input Voltage: 6.4V-8.4V
Output Voltage: 0.5V-8.2V
Charging Voltage: 5V
Charging Current: 1.8A
Standby Current: ＜500uA
Resistance Range: 0.1 - 2.5ohm (VW) / 0.05 - 2ohm (TC)
Temperature Range: 200℉--600℉/100℃--315℃
1.45 inch high definition touch screen with multiple protections
Independent screen locking button
Upgraded user interface for easy operating
Supporting firmware upgrading
Thread: 510
Colours: Black and Prism Chrome, Red Black, White Red, Prism Blue Black, Black Red, Gold Black, Green Black, Black & 7-Colour
Fitting the Batteries
As usual for a Smok device the Species uses dual 18650's which are fitted via the bottom hatch door. The door has a catch on it which needs sliding for the door to spring open, it's a very sturdy spring. The door is solid with no movement and like the spring very sturdy. Once your batteries are placed inside, simply push the door shut and it locks in position very securely. A pity battery orientation on the battery door is Black on Black rather than White it's the only thing stopping me from saying 10 out of 10 for the whole battery fitting set-up, good job!
The Display
The Display is nicely set out and not cluttered with unwanted information, with it being a touch screen there needs to be good space between items that can be pressed and a good job has been done. Top left we have the menu icon, top right the 2 battery status bars, bottom left the resistance and bottom right the voltage. The centre of the display is a circular pattern made up of sections but the circle is incomplete with the bottom section missing. Where the ends of the circular pattern are we have a - and + which are pressed to alter wattage or temperature. Inside the circle we have the current wattage or temperature, next to this we have the preheat if in wattage mode or wire material if in temp control, underneath this is the Unit "W" when in wattage, "C" or "F" when in temp control. Finally in very small font underneath the wattage or temperature we have the time vaped and puffs.
Using the Species
The Species is the usual 5 clicks to turn on and the not so usual (for a Smok device) 5 clicks to turn off although you will be prompted to confirm turning the device off is your intention. When you turn the device on you will be asked to confirm you are of legal age to use the device. I have already described the screen layout and it's in 2 colours, white with accents and certain information in a colour of choice which can be picked in the menu. Although it's a fully functional touch screen there is a lock button, a short press turns stealth mode on and off while a longer press locks and unlocks the touch screen but when locked the device will still fire. You can completely lock the device including the fire bar to do this is 3 clicks and then 3 clicks again to unlock. Once in the menu it is so user friendly you simply press the item you want to select and will be met with + and - symbols to press to alter things, to enter the menu press the menu icon top left of the display. The main menu screen as a small central circle with "SPECIES" written in it, this is surrounded by a bigger circle made up of 4 segments each segment is an option you can choose. The options are mode, puff, settings and display, choosing puff allows you to set a puff limit or reset, choosing display allows to to set screen timeout and choose between 6 different colours you want the accents and certain information to be displayed, the options are Blue, Purple, Orange, Red, White and Green. Choosing mode brings up a screen which allows you to press "VW" on the left of "TC" on the right which ever option you choose highlights then underneath displays what you can set. When "VW" is highlighted you can set wattage rather than doing it on the main screen and you can also set your preheat, the options are Soft, Normal, Hard or Max. When "TC" is highlighted you can set wattage for temp control, choose wire material and set TCR. The final option in the menu is settings which allows you to set resistance, reset the device to factory default and finally on this screen you can power the device off. On all screens in the menu where you did have the menu icon top left we now have a back arrow or home icon which finishes the flow of the whole system nicely. The touch screen works fantastic and the menu system is very simple and easy to navigate.
My Experience Using The Species Kit
The first thing i must mention is i do not vape using temp control and do not have the equipment to get factual data so my reviews are simply based on my experience using the product.
I will get the TFV8 baby V2 out the way first, i had high hopes for this tank especially with all the improvements made at the top of the tank and coming supplied with 2 mesh coils, i thought i would really enjoy it. It's rough, and i mean rough, the flavour with both coils is great but just too much turbulent airflow and even when i closed it down it only slightly smoothed it out. I did think it might be just down to the bore with the single mesh coil so took it out and installed the dual and although this coil wasn't as rough it was still far from smooth. The tank looks great, lock mechanism works well and a nice sized fill port to go with a decent 5ml capacity it's just let down by the tri wide airflow slots that are too much. I basically only used each coil for a few minutes and then switched to using other tanks with the Species device. The Species i don't just like but like a lot it is possibly Smoks best device to date. There are some good touch screen devices that work really well and i do like from Smok themselves the G-Priv 2 and G-Priv Baby, both very good touch screen devices but the Species has raised the bar with how user friendly and well done a touch screen device can be. The option unlike on most Smok devices to turn it off without going into the menu system is a plus as is having the options to just lock the touch screen or lock the whole device so it can't fire. The device fires instantly and is very comfortable using a squeezing method for firing, all wattage's i vaped at seemed accurate to me. There is still no curves feature from Smok which is a pity but apart from that i can't really fault it from my experience using it in power mode. The species will also accommodate up to 30mm tanks, supports 1.8A charging and is fully upgradeable.
Pros
Impressive build quality
Aesthetically pleasing (very nice shape)
Menu very user friendly
Ergonomic
Touch screen as good as i have used
Fire bar
Fires instantly
4 preheats
Temp control (not tested)
Lock button
Power down from main screen
Customisation (six colours for display)
Accommodate up to 30mm tanks
Excellent battery hatch door
TFV8 Baby V2 improved top-fill
Lock mechanism
mesh coils
1.8A charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
TFV8 Baby V2 airflow very rough
Proprietary drip tip
Fingerprint magnet
No curves feature
Orientation on battery door Black on Black
I would once again like to thank Ruby from Smok for supplying the Species 230W Touch Screen TC Kit with TFV8 Baby V2 for the purpose of this review.
SPECIES Kit - SMOK® Innovation keeps changing the vaping experience!
SPECIES Kit - SMOK® Innovation keeps changing the vaping experience!
Introduction
The Species is a 230W dual 18650 touch screen device with a large colour screen, despite having a touch screen which works great the Species is average sized for a dual 18650 device. It has a very nice shape to it very gradually getting both wider and broader from bottom to top which allows for the accommodation of big tanks. In this kit it is paired with the new TFV8 Baby V2 which comes with lock mechanism, improvements to the top fill system, larger capacity (standard version) and large tri airflow. So i will crack on and get on with the review.
In the Box
Contents:
Standard Edition:
1x SMOK Species Mod
1x TFV8 Baby V2 Tank- 5ml
1x Baby V2 A1 0.17ohm Single Coil (Pre-installed)
1x Baby V2 A2 0.2ohm Dual Coil
1x Replacement Glass Tube
1x USB Cable
1x User Manual
Spare Parts
EU Edition:
1x SMOK Species Mod
1x TFV8 Baby V2 Tank- 2ml
1x Baby V2 A1 0.17ohm Single Coil (Pre-installed)
1x Baby V2 A2 0.2ohm Dual Coil
1x USB Cable
1x User Manual
Spare Parts
Aesthetics and Ergonomics
The Species Kit comes in usual Smok type packaging and when opened i was met by a very aesthetically pleasing device which on further inspection is also very well made with no rattles whatsoever. I received the Gold Black version it's also available in Black and Prism Chrome, Red Black, White Red, Prism Blue Black, Black Red, Green Black and Black & 7-Colour, all devices come with a matching TFV8 Baby V2 tank. The front of the device has a large Black panel which at the top gets extended with 2 strips that go over the top of the device and around the back to surround the back honeycomb design finish, the rest of the device is coloured metallic Gold. On the front "SMOK" is printed at the top and below this we have a large colour touch screen, further down is the Black lock button followed by the micro USB port. One side houses the large fire bar the other is featureless, the battery door has etched safety stamps, a Black catch for opening the door and the door is also fitted in a way to allow for venting. The top of the device has a central 510 plate with Gold plated, spring loaded 510. The device is larger at the top than bottom as it very gradually slopes outwards on the sides and even more gradually front and back, the sides are also rounded off making the device with it's fire bar extremely comfortable to hold and fire using a squeezing motion.
TFV8 Baby V2 Specs and Features:
Size: 30.0mm x 54mm
Capacity: 5ml (EU 2ml version of the tank)
Resistance: Baby V2 A1 0.17-ohm Single Mesh Coil
Baby V2 A2 0.2-ohm Dual Mesh Coil
Body Material: Stainless Steel
Tank Material: Pyrex Glass
Patented Locking Mechanism
Better Airflow System
16mm V2 Baby Exclusive Delrin Drip Tip
Antibacterial Medical Cotton
Top Refill System and Leak-proof
New Baby V2 Coils A1/A2/A3
Thread: 510
Colours: Stainless Steel, Red, White, Prism Blue, Matte Black, Gold, Green, 7-Colour
TFV8 Baby V2 Overview
The TFV8 Baby V2 is the long awaited update to the TFV8 Baby that seems to of been around forever. I am not going to go into great detail as the TFV8 Baby has been reviewed so many times i really only see it necessary to point out the changes to the tank. The top of the tank has had a lot of work done to it with a lock mechanism added like we have on the prince, the seal has also been moved to the underside of the top-cap and the fill port is far bigger, so far so good. At the bottom of the tank we now have tri airflow slots and they are very wide, the protruding 510 is Gold plated and non adjustable. The tank is short in comparison to it's diameter which allows for a straight glass making the capacity TPD compliant, it also means the bulge glass that takes the standard version to 5ml bulges out quite far, i actually like the look. I am not a fan of the drip tip, it's a sleeve that fits over the central protruding section on top of the tank, this section has o-rings to secure the sleeve. The drip tip is comfortable enough but i like the option of using my own which isn't possible. The two coils included with the kit are both mesh coils, they are the Baby V2 A1 0.17-ohm Single Mesh Coil rated at between 90w and 140w with best between 110w and 130w, the other coil is the Baby V2 A2 0.2-ohm Dual Mesh Coil which is rated between 70w and 120w with a best between 85w and 105w.
Species Specs and Features:
Size: 82.1 x 49 x 30.6mm
Material: Zinc Alloy
Battery: 2x 18650 battery (not included)
Power Range: 1W-230W
Input Voltage: 6.4V-8.4V
Output Voltage: 0.5V-8.2V
Charging Voltage: 5V
Charging Current: 1.8A
Standby Current: ＜500uA
Resistance Range: 0.1 - 2.5ohm (VW) / 0.05 - 2ohm (TC)
Temperature Range: 200℉--600℉/100℃--315℃
1.45 inch high definition touch screen with multiple protections
Independent screen locking button
Upgraded user interface for easy operating
Supporting firmware upgrading
Thread: 510
Colours: Black and Prism Chrome, Red Black, White Red, Prism Blue Black, Black Red, Gold Black, Green Black, Black & 7-Colour
Fitting the Batteries
As usual for a Smok device the Species uses dual 18650's which are fitted via the bottom hatch door. The door has a catch on it which needs sliding for the door to spring open, it's a very sturdy spring. The door is solid with no movement and like the spring very sturdy. Once your batteries are placed inside, simply push the door shut and it locks in position very securely. A pity battery orientation on the battery door is Black on Black rather than White it's the only thing stopping me from saying 10 out of 10 for the whole battery fitting set-up, good job!
The Display
The Display is nicely set out and not cluttered with unwanted information, with it being a touch screen there needs to be good space between items that can be pressed and a good job has been done. Top left we have the menu icon, top right the 2 battery status bars, bottom left the resistance and bottom right the voltage. The centre of the display is a circular pattern made up of sections but the circle is incomplete with the bottom section missing. Where the ends of the circular pattern are we have a - and + which are pressed to alter wattage or temperature. Inside the circle we have the current wattage or temperature, next to this we have the preheat if in wattage mode or wire material if in temp control, underneath this is the Unit "W" when in wattage, "C" or "F" when in temp control. Finally in very small font underneath the wattage or temperature we have the time vaped and puffs.
Using the Species
The Species is the usual 5 clicks to turn on and the not so usual (for a Smok device) 5 clicks to turn off although you will be prompted to confirm turning the device off is your intention. When you turn the device on you will be asked to confirm you are of legal age to use the device. I have already described the screen layout and it's in 2 colours, white with accents and certain information in a colour of choice which can be picked in the menu. Although it's a fully functional touch screen there is a lock button, a short press turns stealth mode on and off while a longer press locks and unlocks the touch screen but when locked the device will still fire. You can completely lock the device including the fire bar to do this is 3 clicks and then 3 clicks again to unlock. Once in the menu it is so user friendly you simply press the item you want to select and will be met with + and - symbols to press to alter things, to enter the menu press the menu icon top left of the display. The main menu screen as a small central circle with "SPECIES" written in it, this is surrounded by a bigger circle made up of 4 segments each segment is an option you can choose. The options are mode, puff, settings and display, choosing puff allows you to set a puff limit or reset, choosing display allows to to set screen timeout and choose between 6 different colours you want the accents and certain information to be displayed, the options are Blue, Purple, Orange, Red, White and Green. Choosing mode brings up a screen which allows you to press "VW" on the left of "TC" on the right which ever option you choose highlights then underneath displays what you can set. When "VW" is highlighted you can set wattage rather than doing it on the main screen and you can also set your preheat, the options are Soft, Normal, Hard or Max. When "TC" is highlighted you can set wattage for temp control, choose wire material and set TCR. The final option in the menu is settings which allows you to set resistance, reset the device to factory default and finally on this screen you can power the device off. On all screens in the menu where you did have the menu icon top left we now have a back arrow or home icon which finishes the flow of the whole system nicely. The touch screen works fantastic and the menu system is very simple and easy to navigate.
My Experience Using The Species Kit
The first thing i must mention is i do not vape using temp control and do not have the equipment to get factual data so my reviews are simply based on my experience using the product.
I will get the TFV8 baby V2 out the way first, i had high hopes for this tank especially with all the improvements made at the top of the tank and coming supplied with 2 mesh coils, i thought i would really enjoy it. It's rough, and i mean rough, the flavour with both coils is great but just too much turbulent airflow and even when i closed it down it only slightly smoothed it out. I did think it might be just down to the bore with the single mesh coil so took it out and installed the dual and although this coil wasn't as rough it was still far from smooth. The tank looks great, lock mechanism works well and a nice sized fill port to go with a decent 5ml capacity it's just let down by the tri wide airflow slots that are too much. I basically only used each coil for a few minutes and then switched to using other tanks with the Species device. The Species i don't just like but like a lot it is possibly Smoks best device to date. There are some good touch screen devices that work really well and i do like from Smok themselves the G-Priv 2 and G-Priv Baby, both very good touch screen devices but the Species has raised the bar with how user friendly and well done a touch screen device can be. The option unlike on most Smok devices to turn it off without going into the menu system is a plus as is having the options to just lock the touch screen or lock the whole device so it can't fire. The device fires instantly and is very comfortable using a squeezing method for firing, all wattage's i vaped at seemed accurate to me. There is still no curves feature from Smok which is a pity but apart from that i can't really fault it from my experience using it in power mode. The species will also accommodate up to 30mm tanks, supports 1.8A charging and is fully upgradeable.
Pros
Impressive build quality
Aesthetically pleasing (very nice shape)
Menu very user friendly
Ergonomic
Touch screen as good as i have used
Fire bar
Fires instantly
4 preheats
Temp control (not tested)
Lock button
Power down from main screen
Customisation (six colours for display)
Accommodate up to 30mm tanks
Excellent battery hatch door
TFV8 Baby V2 improved top-fill
Lock mechanism
mesh coils
1.8A charging
Firmware upgradeable
Cons
TFV8 Baby V2 airflow very rough
Proprietary drip tip
Fingerprint magnet
No curves feature
Orientation on battery door Black on Black
I would once again like to thank Ruby from Smok for supplying the Species 230W Touch Screen TC Kit with TFV8 Baby V2 for the purpose of this review.
SPECIES Kit - SMOK® Innovation keeps changing the vaping experience!
