Philip Morris International is changing. From a cigarette manufacturer, it turns into a technology company and wants to sit at the same table as Samsung or Apple. Their latest flagship product, IQOS Iluma and has in the name “i” suggesting that it is an intelligent device. I check what innovative solutions can be used in the tobacco heater, which is located in the hand and the top is more like a pen than a device that could be called intelligent.
For clarity: this entry aims to describe a new product from the tobacco heaters category. I do not urge anyone here for smoking either for heating, nor at all to use nicotine. Tobacco heaters are and will be addictive products, and using them is not without risk. However, since it is a product from the area of consumer electronics, pretending to be a “killer of a cigarette” and directed only to adult smokers – I decided to check what is hidden in the latest installment of this device.
Heaters: a short historical
Work on this PMI tobacco heater began in 2008, when the American concern began to develop an alternative to smoking. The first laboratory prototype of the device, named THS 2.0, was created in 2007. The initial models (with markings 2.2 and 2.4) required a heating blade to heat the tobacco inserts. In the years 2018–2019 more advanced versions were introduced, such as the model with marking 3 or with the note Duo, which improved design and functionality.
The milestone, however, was the introduction of the induction heating system along with the debut of IQOS Iluma in 2021. From that moment IQOS uses inductive heating technology instead of the blade, which simplifies operation and eliminates the need to clean the blade.
Since the premiere of the flagship heater, PMI has invested over $ 14 billion in scientific research and the development of technology of indignant products. All this in order to realize I go to a “smooth revolution” and eventually get rid of cigarettes.
This is the first situation I remember in which the manufacturer is fighting his own product, which in the past was stunningly profitable for the company. The cowboy known from old ads goes away.
How is the new one different from the old one?
IQos Iluma I is the latest generation of the tobacco heater, which is developing the previous iteration of the device. Uses induction technology SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM™, which eliminates combustion of tobacco (it was similar in previous IQos) – with the difference that instead of a stem or heating blade – we are not dealing with a breakdown in the contribution. This in turn means that there is no need to clean the device, which was quite burdensome in older models.
The inductive heating technology used in the latest IQOS is interesting because the tobacco insert is heated here from the inside and from the outside – compared to other heaters heating it only from the outside. This information is important for smokers, because this method fully brings out the aroma of tobacco, not the paper surrounding it. Real innovations, however, mainly concern the functionality and convenience of using the new IQOS Iluma I.
From the novelty: he appeared here touch screenwhich allows you to check the most important information about the device in an intuitive way, such as the remaining session time, the number of use available or heating status. This is a significant facilitation in everyday use and a clear step forward towards its predecessor who did not have such a screen.
The mode is also new Pause Modeenabling stopping the session for a maximum of 8 minutes and resume without losing the contribution, which allows you to adjust the rhythm of using the device to your needs and avoid waste of cartridges.
This function is available in performance mode, which by default allows three heating sessions in a row, while the previous generation only enabled two sessions without charging.
Another innovation is Flexbattersi.e. the possibility of choosing between performance and ecological mode (Eco Mode). The performance mode allows three sessions in a row, while the ecological mode extends the battery life for up to a year, limiting the device to one session on the charging cycle and excluding additional functions. New equipment from PMI has been equipped with fast battery charge and offers up to 20 use on one full charge.
It is worth emphasizing that the new model has a 20% larger battery capacity, which translates into a longer working time. He was also among the new functions Flexpuffgiving the user more control over how to use the device. This The function allows for more flexible and personalized use of the device. How does it work? At the end of the session, the device automatically analyzes whether the tobacco insert has been fully used. If not, the system can add up to 4 additional enlists (compared to 14 standard). Thanks to the new battery and Flexpuff function, it was also possible to increase to 3 maximum number of successive ones. In the previous model they were 2 uses.
In terms of design, IQOS Iluma and Prime retains its predecessor’s design, but offering new color variants and a slightly greater weight of the device. PMI, a bit like Apple, is famous for its economical and minimalist aesthetics of its devices (from packaging to the final product). For this reason, the latest flagship of the group received prestigious Red Dot Design Award distinction.
Technical specification:
- Housing material: aluminum
- Heating type: induction (from the inside and from the outside)
- Battery: capacity 2900 mAh, full charge in about 135 minutes
- Dimensions: 5.9 x 8.8 x 15.4 cm; Weight 0.1 g.
- Compatibility: with accessories for previous counterparts from the IQOS Iluma series
Mocking new products in new ones IQos Iluma i
To sum up, the most important news and changes in relation to its predecessors are: touch screen, pause mode, flexpuff, two battery modes (Performance and ECO) and a larger battery capacity.
It must be admitted that for such a functionally limited device (after all, it is only a device heating tobacco …), changes (visual and functional) are quite large compared to the previous model.
Despite all these technologies, unfortunately you still feel the smell of aerosol. Especially if someone uses the heater next to us. Although, it must be admitted that the smell is incomparably less intense than traditional cigarettes. This is one of those changes that I am waiting for in subsequent generations.
Finally, a reminder: if you don’t smoke – don’t start. And if you smoke – throw.
