Last Updated on July 26, 2018 by Team Spinfuel

Like Bonnie and Clyde or White on rice, the SMOK G-Priv 220W TC Touch-Screen Box Mod pairs up perfectly with the SMOK TFV8 Big Baby Beast Sub-Ohm Tank to create the ultimate, highly-anticipated dynamic duo, the SMOK G-Priv 220W Touch Screen Starter Kit! Is SMOK ever going to let up its world domination assault on the vape industry? The devices that are designed and manufactured by SMOK are becoming more and more flawless day after day and this Starter Kit is the icing on the cake for any doubters of SMOK products! With innovative, classy, rugged, powerful, and accurate all in the same sentence; of course it’s a SMOK device. Grab a good warm vape, sit by the Christmas tree and join me as we dissect the SMOK G-Priv 220W Touch Screen Starter Kit ($89.99 at Vapor Authority).

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The SMOK G-Priv 220W Touch Screen Box Mod  is the conversation starting piece with its subtle Red corners that match the perfectly placed fire bar to the Satin Zinc-Alloy finish surrounding the large display screen and battery door. You can tell immediately SMOK used all superior materials and assembled it with quality fit and finish in mind. The Carbon Fiber accent (it feels like a sticker to me) on the battery door is a nice touch surrounded by the Black, Red and slightly brushed Alloy textures that tie everything together nicely. The version I received was the Black with the Red firing bar but I’ve seen other color variations floating around online such as Black/Gold and Black/Silver.

Opening up the typical SMOK packaging, admiring the SMOK G-Priv 220W TC Box Mod live in the flesh with its enormous 2.4inch touch-screen glass display is truly impressive. The touch-screen feature has been done before by other manufacturers (Sigelei and Laisimo for example) but each had their shortcomings which prevented me from paying over $100 to purchase one. When I first heard about a SMOK touch-screen device, I immediately got anxious and was to the moon, hoping I was able to review it and what do you know, here we are! I’ve been using the G-Priv religiously and I’m happy to report back that it performs even better than it looks.

The almost two and a half inch touch-screen is durable and very responsive. SMOK states it is shatter-resistant glass as well as shock-proof and it definitely feels solid when knocking on it roughly. The claim on SMOK’s website is that the glass has taken a 64g steel ball drop test from 1m 10,000 times without breaking. This might be a little optimistic but I’m pretty sure it would hold up from a short fall to the concrete.

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Surprisingly, it doesn’t take multiple clicks to accomplish a task. The responsiveness after clicking a button is immediate with no delay at all. Most of the icons are big enough and are separated apart even for people with bigger hands. There was supposed to be a screen protector installed but mine didn’t come with one (I received the full retail version). The SMOK packaging has a felt insert inside the top box lid so the screen was flawless from the get go with no visible surface scratches.

SMOK includes a Black silicone sleeve with the SMOK logo and covers all the shiny Alloy trim while leaving everything easily accessible. I installed mine the first day I got the G-Priv and it doesn’t get removed unless I need to charge my batteries. The sleeve also adds some additional bulk and grip to an already comfortable mod to hold. It weighs close to 300g with batteries installed so it is heavy but I prefer the weight over a lighter, cheaper feeling device.

The SMOK G-Priv 220W TC Touch Screen Box Mod has a power output from 1-220W and a maximum voltage output of 8V. The fire delay is non-existent with instantaneous power delivery even at lower wattages. The G-Priv can read resistances from 0.06Ω in TC Mode and 0.1Ω in VW Mode while the maximum being 3.0Ω for both. With the same Ramp-up Modes (SMOK calls them Drawing Effects on the menu) as seen on other SMOK devices (Min, Soft, Normal, Hard and Max) available easily when selecting VW Mode (a small icon that needs to be slid to activate each mode). While the menu might seem complicated at first glance, it’s actually really easy to learn and took only a couple minutes to learn the ins and outs. The user-manual is very detailed and explains everything clear and concisely.

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The Temperature Control Modes consist of the standard Nickel, Titanium and Stainless Steel options plus the ability to adjust the TCR of each wire. In TC Mode, the temperature will be front and center (200°-600°F) with your wattage being displayed smaller right underneath versus in VW Mode, the wattage is the main focus. You can adjust wattage in TC Mode up to 220W which is under the preheat option but serves as your wattage adjustment. A feature I noticed the SMOK G-Priv has is when your cotton begins to dry out in TC Mode, ‘Dry Coil/No Liquid’ will display on the screen; this is just one of the many safety features SMOK implemented.

The SMOK G-Priv 220W Box Mod runs on dual high-amp 18650 batteries (not included). My personal opinion is spend the extra money on reliable, name-brand batteries (I’ve been using some married Sony VTC6’s) especially for a premium device such as the G-Priv. A small notch on the bottom of the Carbon Fiber side panel, when removed, reveals your battery tray. Everything in the battery compartment is as clean as the outside even though you can’t see it all the time; the attention to detail SMOK consistently executes. The door is held on by four very strong magnets and holds the door in place as solid as a rock resulting in zero battery rattle.

The spring-loaded top battery contacts are Gold-plated and the bright White battery orientation markings (ran in Series configuration) makes inserting your batteries properly an easy task. The batteries fit in snug but not tight to the point where they’re hard to install. The pull tab makes removing them quick for effortless battery exchanges. You can safely run your batteries down to 6.4V (3.2V per battery) before receiving a ‘Weak Battery’ warning. Along the bottom of the G-Priv, SMOK included plenty of battery venting to dissipate some of the heat away from the device. I haven’t had the mod get hot at all even when running close to 200W.

The micro USB port is on the bottom hidden out of the way to maintain that strong visual cleanliness. It’s used for firmware upgrading (mine came with the current V1.5 software) and 1A balanced battery charging. When plugged in (SMOK included the usual short micro USB cable) to charge, the top right corner will display the lightning bolt symbol and the percentage your batteries are currently (you can still vape it while it’s charging). I would’ve preferred to have the percentage there all the time or be able to toggle it on or off like the WISMEC RX200 series devices.

The small button above the fire bar, when pressed quickly, acts as the devices Stealth Mode that toggles the screen on or off. When the screen is on, by holding the button for 2 seconds, it locks your screen preventing any accidental adjustments when pocketing your mod. The fire bar is velvety smooth and unlike the H-Priv and X-CUBE Ultra’s back and forth play, the G-Priv’s bar is solid. When 5-clicking the fire button, I do get random squeaking here and there. It’s not a consistent thing but something that could worsen over time and I will update in the comments below if it does get worse.

The Gold-plated 510 pin ensures stable conductivity while the buttery smooth Stainless Steel connection threads accept any of the tanks (up to 26mm Atomizers won’t have overhang) I’ve attached to the G-Priv. SMOK states they implemented the same Elastic-Touch design as other SMOK devices but after trying to contact SMOK for any additional information, I got no reply or call back. Most springs are made from elastic material so I wanted to find out if this claim is just a fancy way of saying it’s a spring-loaded 510 pin.

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The SMOK G-Priv 220W Touch Screen Starter Kit also includes the TFV8 Big Baby Beast Sub-Ohm Tank (I received the Black that comes with the Black/Red Kit). It measures 24.5mm in diameter, fits flush and perfectly contours around the curves of the top of the G-Priv. With an eJuice capacity of 5ml, you can spend more time vaping and less time refilling. The same hinge-locking fill method as other Taste Flavor tanks is seen here with a large enough silicone fill hole to fit even the larger 120ml droppers. The top cap closes nicely without the need of a Vape Band. I love the convenience of refilling quickly with no mess versus the repetitive ‘unscrew the top cap’ method.

The two adjustable 15mm x 2mm airflow slots stop in both the open and closed positions while providing enough airflow to dish out clouds like you’d expect from SMOK tanks. The restriction is stiff but is still quite easy to adjust. The 16mm Delrin drip tip tapers down into a 6.7mm chimney and is the reason the flavor is so dense even with such a wide-bore drip tip. Also included is a 510 drip tip adapter if the wide-bore option is too much.

I’m not including super detailed notes about my experience with the TFV8 Big Baby Beast coils since the review for the Big Baby Beast is going to be finalized in the coming week. With that review, I go into extensive detail about each coil included and other optional coils too.

The Big Baby Beast is cross-compatible with all the TFV8 Baby Beast coil heads as well as the RBA build deck. The G-Priv Starter Kit includes a preinstalled 0.15Ω V8 Baby-X4 Quadruple coil head that can handle up to 70W. My sweet spot was right around 65W, providing an awesome dense vape with fantastic flavor that mimics other SMOK Sub-Ohm Tanks. A 0.2Ω V8 Baby-T6 Sextuple coil head is included as well that has three individual parallel coils and a drastic power increase of up to 130W. At 100W, the vapor was kicking and flavor was just right. I’m a triple digit wattage vaper at heart so of course I prefer the T6 coil head over the preinstalled X4.

The SMOK G-Priv 220W Touch Screen Starter Kit has been a blast to review as it proves SMOK is still on top of the vape game! As far as negatives go, I have nothing to say other than making sure to lock your screen or you will accidentally adjust your wattages at times. And there’s no Bluetooth compatibility to connect to the Vaping Tour App but I don’t mind plugging it in to my computer so not a huge deal at all. Personally, I’d pay double the price it’s currently going for to get this kind of superior performing device! SMOK offers a 6-month warranty from the purchase date which is twice as long as most warranties; a good safety net just in case it self-destructs.

Final Grade – A

“What else can I say other than the SMOK G-Priv 220W Touch Screen Starter Kit should be in every vapers possession right after you finish this review! Remember, only $89.99 at Vapor Authority gets you the G-Priv Box Mod and the TFV8 Big Baby; a huge savings if you bought them separately. You talk about the perfect Christmas gift for the vaper in your life; the G-Priv is where it’s at!”

Team Spinfuel

SMOK G-Priv 220W TC Touch Screen Box Mod Features:

  • Dual High-Amp 18650 Battery – Not Included
  • Dimensions: 85mm by 58.5mm by 28mm
  • Wattage Output Range: 1-220W
  • Min Atomizer Resistance: 0.06ohm
  • Temperature Range: 200-600F
  • Supports Ni200 Nickel, Titanium, and Stainless Steel Heating Elements
  • Superior Zinc Alloy Construction
  • Super Big 2.4 Inch OLED Touch Screen – Shatter Resistance
  • Screen-Lock Button – Simplify Operation
  • Five Drawing Effects: Min, Max, Soft, Normal, Hard
  • Temperature Coefficient of Resistance (TCR) Adjustments
  • User-Friendly Interface
  • Stealth Firing Bar Mechanism
  • Magnetized Battery Cover – Carbon Fiber Inlay
  • Temperature Protection
  • Short Circuit Protection
  • Over Current Protection
  • Over/Under Voltage Protection
  • MicroUSB Port
  • 510 Connection

SMOK TFV8 Big Baby Tank Features:

  • 24.5mm Diameter
  • 5mL Juice Capacity
  • Superior Stainless Steel Construction
  • High-Grade Glass Reinforcement
  • Convenient Top-Fill Design with Hinge Lock
  • Dual Adjustable Airflow Control at Base
  • Black Delrin Ultra-Wide Drip Tip
  • Patented Baby Turbo Engines Coil Structure
  • 0.4ohm V8 Baby-Q2 Dual Coil – rated for 30-80W | recommended 55-65W
  • 0.15ohm V8 Baby-X4 Quad Coil – rated for 30-70W | recommended 45-60W
  • 0.15ohm V8 Baby-T8 Octuple Coil – rated for 50-100W | recommended 60-80W
  • V8 Baby RBA – Two-Post Deck
  • 510 Connection

In The Box:

  • 1 G-Priv 220 Box Mod
  • 1 TFV8 Big Baby Tank
  • 1 Preinstalled V8-X4 Coil Head
  • 1 Replacement V8-T6 Coil Head
  • 1 Replacement Glass Tube
  • Spare Parts
  • Instructional Manual