Will the Future of Vaping Be Big Mods or Pod Systems?

In 2018, small e-cigarettes flourished, summarizing some of the current small e-cigarette brands on the market.

In the past year, small e-cigarettes have become popular, while large e-cigarettes have faded. As we know, small e-cigarettes are now mainstream. Manufacturers that previously looked down on small e-cigarettes have started to produce them, and consumers who once dismissed small e-cigarettes are now using them. We can easily predict the prospects for small e-cigarettes in the coming year.

So, will the e-cigarette market in the next three years be dominated by small e-cigarettes, or will large e-cigarettes continue to thrive?

"Large e-cigarettes have always been a niche product for enthusiasts. As e-cigarettes become more popular, will the market trend in the next three years shift to small e-cigarettes?" This was a question posed by a user on Zhihu, and it is a question many e-cigarette practitioners want to ask.

For this question, the answer is not simply "can" or "cannot"; it requires a comprehensive consideration of various conditions. On Zhihu, people have provided answers from different perspectives, offering valuable insights that help understand the future market direction; some responses are particularly insightful.

Hehe said:

The future will be dominated by small e-cigarettes, but it will be difficult to complete this transition in three years. Even in the countries where the e-cigarette industry is currently developing best, it is still hard to say that they can compete equally. Rather than witnessing the decline of the large e-cigarette market, it is more accurate to say that this is the rise of the smoking population market. The smoking market cannot thrive on tricks and large clouds; only small e-cigarettes can take on this mission.

vap0202 said:

The small e-cigarette market is for the general smoking population, while the large e-cigarette market is for enthusiasts or hobbyists. There is still room for exploration and innovation in small e-cigarettes, while large e-cigarettes seem to be running out of steam; the flavors are all quite similar, and the differences are merely in design and power, which are non-core features with little room for innovation. Small e-cigarettes, on the other hand, still have significant potential in flavor, portability, and cost of use.

Xiao Yucheng said:

I personally believe that small e-cigarettes have enormous potential. Returning to the essence of smoking, large e-cigarettes are not the core demand. For the general user base, the cost, portability, and standardized replaceability of small e-cigarettes far exceed that of large e-cigarette devices. Just like the relationship between traditional cigarettes and pipes: pipes can be enjoyed slowly at home, but when going out, small e-cigarettes are more convenient. This issue can be viewed from the user's habits; in the future, small e-cigarettes should be mainstream, but that time is still early.

Xiong Xiong Dad said:

The level of popularity is still far from sufficient. If one has not tried the new small e-cigarettes, if any one aspect of cost, flavor, or battery life is not done well, it will be hard to popularize! In the future, large e-cigarettes will still exist among enthusiasts.

He Bi Youming said:

The overall e-cigarette market can be divided into two segments: one is the market for smokers; the other is the VAPE market, which is primarily for enthusiasts. In the future, the market for smokers has greater potential domestically, while the VAPE market has greater potential abroad.