“Despite its relatively small battery capacity, the Innokin Disrupter / InnoCell vaporizer is an Early Adopter’s Dream”

 Innokin’s latest offering is a very different kind of product from the usual fare of box mods, tube mods, and so on. Although it is a box mod, it’s more of a ‘modular’ box mod, and that has a lot of vapers interested. And why not? The Disrupter and InnoCell mod is something very new indeed.

Look to my next Cold Open video (coming soon) for an overview of the Disrupter / InnoCell vaping system. When I post it, I’ll include it at the bottom of this review. -JM

This new modular box mod is the first device to use Innokin’s new InnoCell LiPo battery. What’s really unique about the Disrupter and InnoCell is that the actual device, the Disrupter itself, is more like a frontend component rather than the full device. The internal electronics, the display, the firing buttons, adjustment buttons, and so forth are the frontend component while the bulk of the device; size-wise anyway, is the InnoCell battery. I think the Disrupter / InnoCell mod was executed well, and is certainly innovative, so let’s take a look at it and see what we see.

The Innokin Disrupter Kit

When you purchase The Innokin Disrupter you get the ‘vaporizer’ component, or the ‘frontend’ in one box and the 2000mAhInnokin Disrupter Box Mod InnoCell battery in another box. You have multiple color choices for the InnoCell LiPo batteries, and a choice between silver/aluminum color and black for the frontend Disrupter component. I was sent the silver version but my preference is always black. In any case, there are many combinations you can come up with depending on which colors you buy for batteries and the Disrupter itself.

I’ll go over each component separately first, then an overview of the combined components and finish with my real world impressions.

The Innokin Disrupter Box Mod

The Disrupter component is a feature rich mod, but of course it requires the InnoCell in order to function.

Features of the frontend Disrupter component.

The Operating Voltage range is between 3.0V-7.5V, and operates in the wattage range of 6w-50w. You can fire down to 0.2-ohm resistance, which means you have plenty of choices when it comes to choosing the right tank for you. I’ve used several tanks on the Disrupter and enjoyed the vape from each one. And with the 510 floating pin every tank I used fit nice and flush.

If you vape using 0.50-ohm coil heads you’ll enjoy the maximum potential of any tank you decide to use (with power to spare), but going to a lower resistance depends on the individual tank. Some tanks running 0.3-ohm coils do extremely well at the full 50w, but when I used a Zephyrus tank with their dual coil 0.3-ohm it did well, but I could tell that I could throw more wattage at it for an even better vape. However, it is safe to say that for ‘most’ situations the Innokin Disrupter does very well, and with the Innokin iSub G it does particularly well. (Naturally)

The front side of the Disrupter component features the OLED display. The display is plenty bright and displays the wattage, voltage, and atomizer resistance as well as the battery level. The “up” and “down” buttons are directly beside (or directly above depending on your orientation) the display, and moving to the left or top (orientation again) you have an ample size firing button that is firm, nimble, and responsive.

There is nothing really groundbreaking with the front side interface though it does feel like a quality device.

Inside the Disrupter are the internal features. It starts off with a left/right screen flip action. It also sports a 15-second cutoff vape time, and it remembers your last voltage/wattage setting, ohms meter, as well as the battery level and puff counter. So all in all, the Disrupter is up-to-date with the features you would expect in a 2015 box mod, except maybe temperature control, but temperature control features are still a ways off from becoming a standard feature in mods, and I believe it will remain that way until such time that temperature control can be initiated with regular Kanthal wire. Until that time, temperature control doesn’t mean a whole lot to most vapers.

Although the Disrupter/InnoCell charges with a MicroUSB cable, it may not come with the purchase. Our review units did, and it seems to me that this is a full retail version so I’m a bit fuzzy on this. I’ve heard some say it doesn’t include the cable. In case it doesn’t you can buy one on the cheap, MyVaporStore will be selling it for just $1.99. I can’t imagine why Innokin would not include the cable with the kit.

Lastly, this next feature leads us into the InnoCell Power System; Innokin’s Slide n Lock System. This ‘feature’ is critical to the Disrupter’s success because it is how the InnoCell battery attaches and detaches from the mod part of the system. If the battery attached or detached in an annoying or time-consuming fashion the Disrupter wouldn’t stand a chance taking off with the vaping public. Thankfully, the Slide n’ Lock system makes changing out a battery fast, easy, and idiot-proof.

The slide on and slide off mechanism works wonderfully well. It only takes a second or three to slide off a depleted battery and slide on a fully charged one. It’s unique, and graceful, almost a one-fluid-movement of release and attach.

Recapping the Feature List

  •  Spring-Loaded 510 Pin
  • Atomizer Resistance: 0.2Ohm (minimum)
  • Charging: Micro USB DC5V/1A
  • Large Bright OLED Screen
  • Left/Right Screen Flip
  • Large Durable buttons
  • InnokinCell Slide n’ Lock System
  • 15-second cutoff
  • 3-click On Off
  • Voltage Mode or Wattage Mode
  • Remembers last Voltage or Wattage setting Ohms Meter & Battery Level Indicator & Puff Counter

The InnoCell Power System

Innokin hopes the InnoCell Power System will extend far beyond powering the Disrupter, and as long as the LiPo technology continues to improve I’m confident that Innokin will be successful incorporating this battery system into future vape products.

InnoCell DisrupterUsing LiPo batteries allows Innokin to shape the battery portion of any device in any way they like. There is no design that can’t be fashioned with LiPo technology, so if Innokin decided to power every device they make with a InnoCell LiPo it won’t be that difficult to do.

Innokin’s engineers worked to create a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery that performed better than the 18650 batteries we all know and love. Were they successful? Let’s see…

The InnoCell LiPo Vaping power system has been engineered specifically to power advanced personal vaporizers (APV’s) and the end result is said to be a safer, smarter, and longer lasting system than current batteries that the 18650 can provide. With all that said, LiPo’s still have a ways to go in the actual mAh department. Innokin is starting out with a 2000mAh InnoCell but expects to increase that number substantially, and sooner rather than later. They need to be able to deliver larger capacity batteries without making the physical battery larger. It’s going to happen, it’s just a matter of time.

The InnoCell delivers and maintains the full 2000-mAh capacity up to and beyond 300 full-charge cycles. Of course, no one has owned the Disrupter or InnoCell battery long enough to recharge it 300 times, but I suspect that number will wind up on the conservative side. Over the past 4 years I’ve never owned an 18650 that got close to 300 cycles.

The InnoCell also outputs a max continuous output of 20Amp at the full 50Watt output and lower, and it has been shown that the InnoCell lasts longer and packs more power than the 18650 batteries at 2000mAh. The 20amp continuous output helps the Disrupter power those low resistance coils, and it does a good job doing so.

The InnoCell uses an integrated smart-PCB that provides advanced safety features including overcharge protection, overheat protection, short circuit protection, and an auto-shutoff. The power management alone makes the new PCB a good move on Innokin’s part.

Each InnoCell caries a unique ID ‘identifier’ that can be verified online, preventing authenticity or security problems like counterfeiting or cloning. Spinfuel is a strong supporter of these types of measures to prevent the fraudulent actions some businesses practice. Stealing from innovators and making unsafe products in the name of the holy dollar is criminal and needs to be dealt with now. Innokin’s new method will definitely make it more difficult to counterfeit, but it’s just a start to solving a much larger problem.

Charging An InnoCell

To charge an InnoCell battery all you need is a standard MicroUSB cable and your computer’s USB port, or a wall adapter. Charging times were about the same for a basic 2000mAh battery using the computer USB port on my laptop. However, when charging any-mAh 18650 in a Nitecore charger is much faster than a computer’s USB port.

Tri-LED Indicator

The InnoCell features a Tri-LED touch power indicator so you’ll always know how much power you have left, and when you want to switch out the InnoCell for a new one the Slide- n’ Lock system is quick and convenient, and checking the LED indicator you know exactly when you need to switch it out.

Here is the truncated feature list for the InnoCell Power System before I begin my Real World Usage part of the review.

InnoCell Vaping Power System:

  • 300 Full Charge Cycles (minimum)
  • Real 2000mAh Capacity
  • Tri-LED Touch Power Indicator
  • 20Amp Maximum Continuous Output
  • Standard MicroUSB Charging Port
  • Vape While Charging Technology (Pass-Through)
  • Overcharge Protection
  • Overheat Protection
  • Auto Shutoff
  • Short Circuit Protection
  • Unique Identification Number with Online Verification To Prevent Counterfeiting
  • 21 Color Combinations for extensive customization

Real World Usage

Okay, so here’s the deal. When we review a new piece of hardware we have to think about the hardware as though we don’t own anything like it. We certainly don’t compare it to other, more expensive equipment we might have. We try not to compare it to anything really. We must look at the product we review as unique, and compare the company’s promotional copy to how it really works for the reviewer. Is it everything the company says it is, or has the company ‘oversold’ the device with fancy words written by someone who never actually used the device? Certainly the company has the right to minimize the negatives and maximize the positive, but the reviewer must never do the same thing. That being the case, my usage report is exactly my real experience with using the Disrupter for several days. (7 days)

The Innokin Disrupter is definitely innovative, and it works exactly like it Innokin says it will work so far. The buttons are firm, accurate, and reliable. The finish on the vaporizer component is fine, and it feels like ‘quality’. All the 0.5-ohm coils register as 0.5-ohm, with the same slight variances that I see in other devices. Naturally not every ‘official’ ohms level is going to wind up being the actual ohms level, so it is to be expected that any coil might throw off a slightly different reading no matter what you’re using to measure it.

I believe that the Disrupter is as reliable in reading the ohms resistance of the coil as any other advanced and regulated device.

The InnoCell Power System, those 2000mAh LiPo’s are great little batteries and the 2000mAh charge life is as good as any 2000mAh 18650. They don’t run hot using a tank with a 0.5-ohm coil, or even as low as 0.3-ohm coil, and the continuous output supplies plenty of power to the tank without causing any heat throw-off. As I indicated above, I believe the power management technology works well.

Most importantly, at this point, is where will the InnoCell tech will be in a year’s time. Where will Innokin be with respect to higher milliamp hours? This is where I see the real potential of these new InnoCell’s, and the future of Innokin products. Innokin could do a lot of good things with the InnoCell if the company continues to improve the tech. This could be just the beginning for Innokin and these new LiPo’s.

For this review I received a Disrupter kit direct from Innokin. The kit contains the InnoCell (blue) and the Disrupter mod in two boxes, which are then wrapped in shrink-wrap. I also received another twin-pack of InnoCell’s for testing. Charging the batteries took very little time and once charged I attahed a Kanger Subtank (0.5-ohm) and off I went.

My first vape ‘session’ lasted a good two, two and a half hours before I had to switch out the battery. I’m a heavy vaper, so I managed to vape my way through two tanks of eliquid (Max VG, 3mg nicotine) before the battery had to be recharged. The length of time easily equals the length of time I would get had I been using a box mod with a 2000mAh 18650.

The size of the Disrupter with the InnoCell attached is a little smaller than you might think. It fits comfortably in my hand, and despite its straight edges I liked the way it felt and I loved the way it vaped. Innokin seems to like the boxy box mod; at first glance you know you’re using an Innokin device if you’ve seen the MVP Pro box mod, though the Disrupter is smaller.

A Kanger Subtank’s optimal wattage for me on my various devices ranges from 30-watts to 32-watts. The Disrupter’s optimal wattage for the Subtank/0.5-ohm is 30-watts on the nose. That’s the continuous output working there… a good sign.

When it came time to change the battery I decided to change the tank as well. This time I switched to a Delta 2 from Joyetech because the Delta 2 requires more wattage than the Subtank with both tanks using their 0.5-ohm coils. It takes a good 40 watts to get an optimal vape experience with a Delta 2 on nearly every one of my devices. It was here, with this test, that the Disrupter really displayed its technology at work. 40 watts with the Innokin Disrupter was just a little too much for a Delta 2 I had been using for a few days with other devices. I had to back it down to 37.5 watts to get the same quality vape. No doubt the importance of the continuous 20amp output proved itself here.

Working my way through several different tanks and 3 different coils, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 ohms I can say definitively that the Disrupter/InnoCell is more than capable of handing most tanks and most resistance levels. If you were looking for the maximum amount of battery life you would be wise to use a resistance above 1-ohm, not to mention the fact that above 1-ohm you would use less eliquid as well.

Bottom Line

Like every other vaporizer on the market there will be many fans of the Disrupter / InnoCell and many detractors as well. That’s just the way it is. No matter how much R&D a company puts into their device or how much money they spend to develop the product there will always be a certain amount of people that dislike it, even without having never used it.

What I say about the Disrupter comes from me, and only me. I don’t pay attention to those that criticize a device before they actually use it; I make up my own mind after putting in many hours of actual use under different conditions.

Here’s what I really think about the Innokin Disrupter and InnoCell Power System…

All in all, the Disrupter is an exciting new roadway for Innokin and us vapers. I won’t hide my disappointment over the 2000mAh capacity, but I do understand it. This is new technology, and Innokin has every right to be proud of the Disrupter/InnoCell V1.0.

There are plenty of early adopters in the technology sector, Apple users are known to be early adopters, and they always have fun with the first gen devices even if they don’t always live up to the promise of a great new experience. Vapers that decide to buy into the Disrupter/InnoCell system now will be the early adopters and I think for the most part they will enjoy the ride.

The way in which Innokin designed the Disrupter/InnoCell system will allow current owners, the early adopters, to upgrade to higher capacity batteries as they come out without having to buy a new frontend Disrupter. Had they done it differently, by making the Innokin InnoCell a permanent part of the Innokin Disrupter I wouldn’t like it nearly as much as I do. But having the ability to switch out the InnoCell as easily as switching out an 18650 shouldn’t be overlooked. It was the best decision they made. Well, that and the 20amp output that allows excellent performance with low resistance atomizers.

If the Disrupter/InnoCell is priced right, and if picking up a couple of extra InnoCell’s doesn’t break the bank, then Innokin will do very well with it. If it is overpriced, and if replacement batteries are priced far higher than 2000mAh 18650’s then they might see significant resistance from the early adopters. Innokin would do well to take a minimum profit on this new device in the introduction period and grow a community of  Innokin Disrupter users; otherwise many potential buyers might opt out and wait for a better version, or a larger capacity InnoCell.

The Disrupter is a big release for Innokin; it’s a hint at things to come. I have a feeling that a lot of vapers looking for a solid box mod, if its an affordable one, will definitely like a lot about this cool new box mod. I’m guessing the deciding factor will be the 2000mAh InnoCell capacity and the willingness to be an early adopter, along with the cost of ownership.

Being the early adopter is always where the excitement is, so I hope many of you will give the Disrupter a good look.

John Manzione

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