SMOK Launches Its First Voice-Control Vaping Device: the SMOK I-PRIV KIT

As we all know, the development of e-cigarettes has reached a bottleneck, and how to maintain their vitality is a key issue that many manufacturers are focusing on. At this year's Shenzhen Expo, the emergence of an AI voice recognition e-cigarette has opened a new chapter in the development of e-cigarettes. It is said to be the first voice recognition AI e-cigarette product, and below I will introduce the SMOK I-PRIV KIT with voice recognition functionality.

One surprising feature of this I-PRIV kit e-cigarette is its voice control capability. It has 16 command keywords, each corresponding to different operations. When powered on and receiving a voice command, it can not only understand the command but also respond verbally. The official poster features the slogan "At your command."

The SMOK I-PRIV has a powerful design, resembling Iron Man in a high-tech exoskeleton armor, full of muscle and strength. Players who like this design will definitely enjoy it, and it is also very intelligent.

The SMOK I-PRIV is made of zinc alloy, ensuring durability and wear resistance. Its scale-like exterior provides a good grip, especially for users with sweaty hands. Although it appears large, it is not cumbersome; however, adding two 18650 batteries does make it slightly heavier, especially with two 20700 batteries, but this also enhances battery life, and it is compatible with 21700 batteries.

The prominent shoulders at the top of the device do not interfere with the installation of mainstream atomizers; the 510 interface extends outward with a small anti-scratch ring, which may get scratched during repeated connections with atomizers, so it could be made larger.

The design of the fire button is similar to previous SMOK products, with a large surface area for easy pressing. When pressed lightly, you will notice two stages of button travel. To fire, you need to pre-press, and then press again to actually activate it, which requires some adaptation from the user.

Compared to previous models, the biggest highlight of the SMOK I-PRIV is its chip, which features a more advanced AI smart voice mode. It can receive voice commands from the user and execute them, effectively freeing up our hands for other tasks, provided the device is powered on and the voice microphone is activated.

Introduction to the I-Priv main unit's voice mode:

By pressing the fire button three times to enter the menu mode, you can select a microphone icon to access the voice mode settings. The voice options can be divided into three modes: 1. Male voice 2. Female voice 3. Robot voice. If you prefer not to use voice control, you can disable voice prompts in the settings.

Voice command operation diagram for the I-Priv main unit, all in English voice control, I would like to explain why there are no Chinese voice control commands: because SMOK's business primarily targets the international market in Europe and America, most menu settings and voice commands are in English, which is widely used globally. However, I still hope SMOK can provide convenience for domestic users, as the number of domestic players is increasing, and with a higher awareness of health, the number of e-cigarette users will also rise. It would be best if future products could have a Chinese-English switch mode or Chinese voice control. (Some SMOK devices are compatible with Chinese-English menu switching.) Due to my personal English pronunciation issues, I can only rely on my phone to issue commands. I specifically tested the "Screen color" command, which was quite interesting, as the device quickly switched the screen display color. It is convenient, but unfortunately, you must issue commands in English with standard pronunciation; otherwise, it will not respond at all.

If you think your English pronunciation is standard enough, then come and challenge yourself! For someone like me who didn't graduate from elementary school, I can only operate it manually. I strongly suggest the manufacturer release a Chinese version or design a customizable voice feature for easier operation by domestic users.

For the main menu, in addition to sound settings, there are options for working mode selection (including power, three-wire temperature control, memory mode), number of puffs, personal preferences, screen display effects, LED lighting effects, and shutdown operations. The setting method is similar to other mainstream SMOK devices, so players with experience using SMOK should quickly get the hang of it. From the above content, it seems that the SMOK I-PRIV has higher playability.

Additionally, the UI interface of the SMOK I-PRIV has undergone significant changes, with an interface effect resembling an electronic dashboard, rich in technological color, especially the dynamic effects during firing, which enhance the uniqueness of the SMOK I-PRIV.

Below the UI interface are the +/- buttons, and below them is a small opening that houses the microphone and speaker, allowing users to speak to the device and hear its responses through this opening.

As for how far away you can be from the device for it to respond, due to my English pronunciation issues, I conducted a simple test using my phone. When about 60mm away, the device still responded, but this data is just a rough estimate for reference.

The SMOK I-PRIV appears larger mainly because it supports dual 18650 batteries, as well as dual 20700 and dual 21700 batteries, indicating that the SMOK I-PRIV has higher battery compatibility, which naturally improves its battery life.

Regarding battery installation and replacement: open the back cover (which connects magnetically to the main body), and using an 18650 battery sleeve, you can install two 18650 batteries; the other two types of batteries can be installed directly. From the SMOK I-PRIV, it is evident that most newly released devices are compatible with 20700 batteries, which seems to be a trend.

The bottom of the SMOK I-PRIV features a USB charging port and an LED indicator light, which can be set or turned off in the system. I find it puzzling why the LED indicator is located at the bottom; I feel it would be better placed around the display screen for a more impressive visual effect.

This time, the SMOK I-PRIV is still paired with the well-regarded TFV12 Prince atomizer, but this version of the TFV12 Prince has undergone significant changes.

Especially in terms of compatible pre-made coils, it has switched to steel sheet pre-made coils and mesh pre-made coils, which can be considered an upgraded version of the TFV12 Prince atomizer. Based on the experience, both of these pre-made coils exhibit a strong ability to restore the flavor of the e-liquid, providing a delicate and smooth taste.

In summary, the addition of AI voice functionality to the SMOK I-PRIV completely breaks the existing operation mode of devices and overcomes the bottleneck in the development of e-cigarettes, making human-machine interaction more direct and user-friendly. With this feature, I believe the SMOK I-PRIV will undoubtedly lead the trend.

However, since the SMOK I-PRIV primarily targets overseas markets, voice commands must be given in English. We look forward to the early release of products with Chinese voice capabilities. As for the practicality of applying AI voice recognition to e-cigarettes, opinions will vary, but what do you think?