A New Vaping Contender: Can CHILL C-POD Really Become a "Breath of Fresh Air" for the Industry?

Since 2018, the domestic e-cigarette industry has experienced several ups and downs. From being the darling of the capital market as a "new consumption, new category" to being strictly regulated by the state and facing a "ban on online sales," to the parent company of RELX, Fogcore Technology, going public in the U.S. and seeing its stock price soar by 145.92% on the first day of trading, the capital market has been astonished. On the stage of Chinese e-cigarettes, the winds of change are blowing, but the "thousand rods, one face" remains unchanged.

Almost all brands of e-cigarette products on the market feature a long stick + ceramic core, while a uniquely styled e-cigarette brand—CHILL—quietly entered the domestic market in early 2021, attracting industry attention.

According to Mr. D, a distributor of CHILL e-cigarettes in South China, the brand's initial two products, C-POD and M-POD, tested the waters in the domestic market at the end of 2020 and are now beginning to ship in small quantities. Surprisingly, the information provided by this distributor shows that these two products completely abandon the "small stick" design and instead adopt a "small square box" shape across the entire series.

The C-POD is compact and has a solid grip. The body is made of aluminum alloy, zinc alloy, and mirror stainless steel, with surface treatment processes including piano baking paint and electroplating, giving it a unique and distinctive design.

Additionally, the CHILL e-liquid cartridge boldly adopts an exposed design, with the stainless steel cartridge highlighting a strong sense of technology and power, perfectly matching the term "cartridge." The top of the body features a piece of mirror stainless steel, resembling a small mirror, which reportedly can be used by women for emergency lipstick touch-ups.

Even more surprising is its functionality: the C-POD can pair with any smartphone globally (compatible with iOS and Android), allowing users to control their phone's camera and video functions via Bluetooth. This means users can not only take stylish selfies while blowing smoke rings but also use it in daily life, such as for group selfies, family photos, and short video recordings.

"C" stands for Camera. Additionally, the C-POD is equipped with a five-level output power adjustment function.

This means that with the same flavor of e-liquid and the same cartridge, consumers can experience different flavors and smoke volumes.

Moreover, the C-POD breaks the industry's poor experience of five-button power on/off, adopting a long-press switch for easier use.

The M-POD series has a smaller body size, lighter weight, and can be equipped with a lanyard, resembling a piece of jewelry. The first batch of M-POD series products launched in the domestic market includes six models, each with different patterns. Mr. D mentioned that the M series may update patterns at a "ZARA-like" frequency, and even allow for flexible customization.

The CHILL cartridges are interestingly designed, resembling "bullet casings," compatible with both the C and M series. Compared to the commonly seen transparent plastic cartridges on the market, CHILL cartridges use food-grade stainless steel, giving them a more solid feel and a technological vibe.

"When it comes to e-cigarettes, no matter how much is said, it ultimately comes down to flavor. This is also the point consumers care about most," Mr. D said. "CHILL's cartridges not only look different, but their airflow design and internal materials seem to differ from others, providing better flavor restoration and a comfortable 'lung feel.'

For example, the same e-liquid, when used in a small stick ceramic core device, performs differently than in CHILL devices, delivering a more accurate and pure flavor without any off-tastes. This kind of craftsmanship and flavor design has never been seen before. Additionally, it is said that these cartridges can be produced on fully automated production lines without manual assembly, which is good news for us in terms of future procurement, as upstream factories can produce quickly and ensure supply.

The batteries of the C and M series products use 550mAh, which is more than a hundred mAh compared to some other products, allowing for normal use for 2-3 days. In terms of battery life, CHILL shows considerable sincerity,” the distributor added.

As for CHILL's market strategy and retail price in China, Mr. D refrained from commenting, saying that there would be a "surprise" for the Chinese market.

Currently, products like RELX, which represent the "small stick" e-cigarette trend, are gaining momentum. However, can e-cigarettes with such a strong trend of consumption only take this form?

CHILL's slogan is "A light flow, freely." With its unique appearance, material, inhalation and lung experience, and potential technological extensions, can CHILL e-cigarettes stand out in the "thousand rod battle" and become a "fresh stream" in the Chinese e-cigarette market?

Let's wait and see.