Is there a big difference between RELX 1st Gen and 4th Gen? Detailed comparison

I’ve been using the 1st generation for more than two months and have gone through about 20 pods. Today I’m thinking about switching to the 4th generation, so I’ll briefly talk about the 1st gen first, since I haven’t had enough experience with the 4th gen yet.

1. Leakage and battery life: People online often say the 1st generation leaks, but in reality it is mainly a pod issue. During the first month or so after purchase, my generation of pods had almost no leakage problems, and battery life was also very solid. But after nearly two months, leakage became common and the lifespan became shorter.

Oil leakage causes a large amount of e-liquid to collect under the pod. At first, one pod could last three days, but now it often runs dry in one day. When the leakage is severe, it can also clog the mouthpiece, and you may hear a bubbling sound when inhaling. That is actually e-liquid, and it can spit into your mouth, which is very uncomfortable.

The most troublesome part of the shortened battery life is that it can suddenly run out of power, and the 1st generation’s battery indicator is basically useless, so you have to charge it immediately.

2. Flavors: Although the 1st generation has many flavors, most people probably only really like three or four of them, and usually buy just one box at a time. So having more flavors does not necessarily mean it is better. (Most stores offer flavor testing, so you can try all the flavors before buying.)

3. Draw: The flavor consistency of the 1st generation pods is pretty good. As for whether it feels satisfying or not, that is hard to say. If you’ve smoked cigarettes for seven or eight years, there will definitely be an adjustment period for draw resistance. It’s like when you first switched to stronger cigarettes—you may not find it satisfying at first, but you get used to it.

4. Additional note: Of course, the biggest advantage of the 1st generation is its value for money, but that really shows up when it comes time to replace it. At the same time, the 4th generation also has one issue for me: I’m lazy, and I don’t want to keep charging a 4th-generation charging case all the time, but I also don’t want to carry several pods with me.

5. On quitting smoking: E-cigarettes really can’t be relied on for quitting smoking. Once you get used to them, you can use them anytime, and the frequency is obviously much higher than with cigarettes. Personally, I think the biggest advantage of e-cigarettes is that secondhand aerosol does not affect people around you as much. That was my original reason for choosing e-cigarettes. As for health risks, opinions differ, and whether e-cigarettes are harmful really needs time to verify.

For my own peace of mind, I believe e-cigarettes do not have the harms associated with carbon monoxide and tar.

But if you are choosing e-cigarettes mainly because you are worried about your health, I personally would not really recommend it. If it is truly for health, it is better to quit as early as possible and use nothing at all.

I tracked the new 4th-generation product for a month.

1. Leakage: Recently, slight leakage has appeared in a few individual pods, mainly concentrated around the mouthpiece. I’m not sure whether that is because of how I carry it around or some other reason, but it has clearly been optimized a lot compared with the 1st generation. After removing the pod, there is no obvious e-liquid buildup at the connection point on the device.

2. Battery life: The charging case has a 1000mAh capacity and can recharge the device two to three times. The battery life of the device itself has improved significantly, and one full charge can more or less last two days. The charging case included in the kit is not large, so it is more convenient to carry around. Since I don’t have wireless charging equipment, the case still needs to be charged with a cable, but after the 4th generation switched to Type-C, charging efficiency has improved.

3. Flavors: The 4th-generation pods are compatible with the 5th generation, and the flavor range keeps expanding. However, it is also true that some 5th-generation flavors are not supplied separately. Some specific 5th-generation flavors are unavailable, with only similar alternatives. For example, one flavor I like from the 5th generation has always been impossible to buy, but the flavor profiles are different across the lineup, and each one has its own character. That said, I can accept that, and I like several of the other flavors very much. Recently, the new Forest Berry flavor has been pretty good and has become a new favorite.

(PS: I found a bug in the discussion. Some people say the 4th generation uses e-liquid very quickly, but have you noticed that we do not actually know exactly how many grams or milliliters of e-liquid each pod contains? So it is hard to judge which generation consumes more. For me, the 4th generation currently averages about three pods a week.)

4. Draw: The 4th generation has more draw resistance than the 1st generation, so it is less likely to make you cough, but the throat hit feels slightly stronger, making it closer to a cigarette. At the same time, the 4th generation looks better and feels better in the hand. Also worth mentioning is the 15-puff function. I never really paid much attention to whether the puff count is accurate, but the feature is still somewhat useful—after the vibration prompt, you habitually stop for a moment (though in reality I usually do not take 15 puffs at once). The battery indicator shows white for normal power and red for low battery. Even after the red light comes on, it can still guarantee a certain period of use, so there is less battery anxiety. The charging case’s flashlight function is also very convenient.

5. Other: Two days after I bought the 4th generation, I dropped it and damaged the device. Later the store gave me a protective film for free, but because the film was too thick, the device did not fit smoothly into the charging case after that, and it also left a mark on the device, which really bothered my obsessive tendencies. Everyone should be careful to avoid wasting those protective stickers.

Final thoughts: Overall, there really are improvements. The 4th generation is better than the 1st generation in many ways. For first-time buyers, I recommend going straight to the 4th generation. After all, with the 1st generation you may want to upgrade after just a month, and the 4th generation offers a better overall experience. #p#分页标题#e#