YOOZ replaceable pod 2nd gen ZERO review: overall performance improved by 60%, launching in July

On June 22, a review report revealed that after launching the budget-friendly YOOZ Mini replaceable pod e-cigarette, YOOZ has recently made new moves in its product line, introducing an upgraded version of the original ZERO replaceable pod e-cigarette—the ZERO 2nd Gen.

According to YOOZ, the ZERO 2nd Gen has undergone comprehensive optimization in craftsmanship and technology, with overall performance improved by 60% compared to the first generation, making the product more mature and stable, and enhancing consumer experience. The appearance also emphasizes gradient colors and a more fashionable craftsmanship. The ZERO 2nd Gen is expected to officially launch in early July and will be compatible with the first generation pods.

The company behind YOOZ, founded in early 2019 by Cai Yuedong, the founder of the self-media brand Tongdao Dashu, is known alongside brands like Fulu FLOW, Lingxi LINX, and Xiaoye vvild as part of the internet celebrity e-cigarette faction. Cai Yuedong previously revealed that YOOZ currently sells over a million pods monthly, with more than 400 franchise stores and thousands of distribution points, having raised over 200 million yuan in total funding in 2019. During the COVID-19 pandemic, YOOZ maintained a growth trend and achieved profitability for two consecutive months. In fact, as a well-known e-cigarette brand in the market, YOOZ's replaceable pod product line has been quite sparse; aside from the low-cost Mini launched at the end of April, there has only been the ZERO 1st Gen since its inception, while other internet celebrity brands like Fulu, Lingxi, and Xiaoye have at least two regular replaceable pod products. Moreover, YOOZ has remained relatively quiet in marketing, lacking memorable actions.

Logically, a company that started from the internet should understand the importance of continuously creating topics to expand brand awareness, occupy user minds, and gain more traffic. So why has YOOZ fallen silent in this regard?

People who are unaware might wonder, "Does YOOZ lack financial reserves?" or "Is it about to give up?" or "Does it lack R&D capabilities?" However, if you read the article about YOOZ's roadshow released by Bluehole at the end of last month, you might not have such thoughts anymore.

During the Q&A session, Cai Yuedong stated that YOOZ's business is currently in a good growth state, with a healthy financial situation, and the investors behind it are reputable funds and top entrepreneurs. E-cigarettes are currently his only main business, and he has invested a lot of money and time into it. Last year, YOOZ conducted many practices in domestic and international markets, encountering numerous setbacks, which led to spending more time refining the team and honing internal skills. They have also paid a lot of tuition in supply chain and R&D, and the current product concept focuses on investing heavily in creating a single e-cigarette product rather than launching many products.

Looking at the timeline of product launches: the Mini took 8 months to develop and was launched at the end of April, while the ZERO 2nd Gen is set to launch in early July, with less than a 2-month gap. This indicates that the development of the Mini and ZERO 2nd Gen products should have been conducted simultaneously, which requires high reserves in both financial and technical aspects.

It’s important to note that creating a single product requires countless iterations of overturning, summarizing, and redoing, let alone two products. It seems YOOZ is both wearing the "internet celebrity" label while doing the "techie" work.

It’s like the tank hero Lian Po and Bai Qi in Honor of Kings, who look clumsy but can transform into a battle god with just two attack items, able to tank, deal damage, and control, playing a role in team battles that can even surpass assassins, taking down the enemy's core without needing to retreat because the battle god is invincible.

Back to the point, this is a review article, and Bluehole has obtained the YOOZ ZERO 2nd Gen for everyone. Many YOOZ users and distributors are eagerly anticipating this new product, as while others are continuously updating their products, YOOZ is finally ready to upgrade its equipment.

Family photo of ZERO 2nd Gen

The ZERO 2nd Gen series offers a variety of color options, with six colors available: light ink gray, twilight forest, dream Paris, romantic aurora, cherry blossom gold, and dream night sky.

YOOZ stated that aside from the light ink gray version, which is sold as a standard set (1 device + 2 pods), the other five colors are currently sold as single devices without pods, with sets to be released gradually.

Basic information review product: YOOZ ZERO 2nd Gen (dream purple is out of stock, only this one available) product size: 2188.511.5mm battery: 3.7V/350mah number of puffs: 300 surface treatment: aviation-grade aluminum material + #205 fine sandblasting texture + honeycomb anodizing process indicator light: three colors (red/green/white) breathing indicator light connection method with pod: magnetic USB interface: Type-C charging time: 40 minutes product appearance and optimization introduction

Front

Back

As the product has not yet officially launched, we received a sample without formal packaging, but that’s not a big deal; the product is key. The color of the device is quite bright and fashionable, giving a refreshing feeling at first glance; the surface appears to have a frosted finish, but it feels very smooth to the touch and does not collect fingerprints. The shape and size of the device are identical to the first generation, with no other changes; the only way to distinguish it is by the color of the device and the Type-C charging port at the bottom.

This aspect is somewhat unfriendly to consumers, as the upgraded version looks the same as the original, making it hard to show off.

Embedded magnetic pod slot

In terms of the pod slot, the ZERO 2nd Gen has optimized three structural aspects, significantly extending the lifespan of the device:

First, the liquid storage slot has been enlarged. The first generation had a small storage slot that was inconvenient to clean, leading to a reduced lifespan of the printed circuit board. The second generation has changed the sealing silicone structure to enlarge the storage slot, extending the lifespan of the printed circuit board.

Second, the mouthpiece has a leak-proof structure. According to YOOZ, during testing, the mouthpiece remained stationary for 24 hours after liquid was dripped, with no e-liquid leakage; even under a 3Kpa negative pressure, there was no leakage.

Third, the sealing effect of the silicone has been improved. The battery tube slot of the first generation had sharp edges, which could damage the sealing ring when inserting the battery holder, leading to condensation liquid entering the mainboard. The second generation has changed the battery tube slot to a 45-degree angle, ensuring the integrity of the sealing ring when inserting the battery holder.

The air intake holes have also been optimized, changing from 1.15mm in the first generation to the current 0.7mm, with the draw resistance adjusted to control between 600Pa-900Pa (flow rate 17.5 ML/S), providing a better puffing experience.

The ZERO 2nd Gen adopts the now-popular Type-C charging port, solving the user's long-standing issue of incorrect charging connections. Additionally, YOOZ has stated that the USB connector shell is DIP-shaped, and the soldering method between the PCB board is plug-in soldering, ensuring high firmness and long service life.

The breathing light has also been upgraded. The first generation's breathing light was monochrome, while the second generation's breathing light features three colors: 60% battery shows white, the light gradually brightens during use over 1.6 seconds, and the light gradually dims for 2 seconds after stopping use.

This is very useful in actual use, effectively helping users grasp battery information and prepare for charging in advance. In terms of battery life, the ZERO 2nd Gen is equipped with a 350mAh battery, the same as the first generation, which can generally ensure a day's use when fully charged; the official charging time is 40 minutes, and the actual measured time is 38 minutes, consistent with the official standard. (Note: The battery life of the device is more related to individual puffing frequency.)

As for the price, YOOZ has not disclosed it yet, so we can only guess.

However, one thing can be confirmed: once the ZERO 2nd Gen is officially launched, it will become YOOZ's main product, and the first generation will also start to adopt some of the new processes from the ZERO 2nd Gen.

☆ Minors are prohibited from using e-cigarettes.