SMY Touch Box 100W TC Box Mod

Looking at the photo of the SMY Touch Box 100W TC my first thoughts ran toward the gimmicky. “Who would use a touchscreen to navigate their way around a box mod?” I thought. “How is this any better?” Needless to say, I was not ‘enthused’ with a device like this.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and it turned out I was the guy that was chosen to review it. Maybe it was because of my preconceived attitude towards it, or maybe it was the luck of the draw, but seeing the photo on our Review Board and actually using it, well, it’s different. I knew instantly that this was a mod that needed to be shown on video. Maybe Dave knew that, and that was the reason he went out of the way to assign it to the publisher. I urge you to read this review first, then turn your eyes toward my Cold Open video review to get the full grasp of why my impressions of the SMY Touch Box 100W TC Box Mod are so positive.

One of the ‘greatest annoyances’ of any Temperature Control Box Mod is going through a series of button pushes and clicks in order to navigate the menu system and choose the right setting, dependent on the coil type, and then come back out of the menu to begin hunting for the right temperature, and/or wattage setting. The way most, if not all, menu systems work, if you click forward to a certain wire, and go past it by mistake you have to go all the way around again. It can be frustrating. This issue alone makes the idea of a real ‘touch screen’ a viable one.

The SMY Touch Box 100W TC offers a much easier solution to the above annoyance, but there are other features that are just as important, if not more so. I’ll talk more about the touch screen interface later, for not let’s go over some of the specs and features.

SMY Touch Box 100W TC Feature Highlights

Battery – The SMY Touch Box 100W TC uses two 1300mAh batteries working in parallel for a total of 2600mAh of battery life. Using two 1300mAh high amp batteries allow the device to output a maximum discharge current of 52amps. Combined with certain coil heads the resistance that it can fire down to is very decent.

Ni200 or Ti (Titanium) coils can fire down to as low as 0.05-ohm, and up to 3.00-ohms. In TC mode the range is 200-600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Using Stainless Steel coils, in VW or TC mode, the device can fire down to 0.1-ohm and up to 1.0-ohm. In TC mode the same 200-600 degrees Fahrenheit is the range.

Using Kanthal in VW mode the range of resistance for the coils is 0.1-ohm to 3.0-ohm.

A remarkably sophisticated temperature control system features preset support for Ni200, Titanium, and Stainless Steel wires, together with a 5 point memory DIY mode that allows users to fine tune the output directly from the device for meticulousness vaping.

Safety features include Short Circuit/Low Voltage/Over Time/Low Resistance/IC Temperature/Overload Protection. Pretty much the standard today.

The body of the SMY Touch Box 100W TC is 3.30 inches by 2.08-inches x .96-inches and is made with an Aluminum alloy with Carbon Fiber trim. Colors available in Blue, Silver and Rose Gold (a very hot color these days, having taken off because of the Apple iPhone 6 Rose Gold option.) The finish is a nice matte finish, so it won’t slip out of your hand unless you let go. The one I am reviewing is the Rose Gold, but its shade of rose gold leans toward a pinkish hue, but not overly so. However, while matching the SMY Touch Box 100W TC with the new Vaporesso Target tank’s Rose Gold (a true rose gold) the difference is noticeable. (see video)

The 2.5-inch TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD color display may lack the tight resolution of hi-res OLED screen, but it’s still damned efficient and easy to see and understand. Coming from a computer background this color TFT technology is nearly 20 years old, but the underlying touch screen ability more than makes up it. The resolution of the 2.5-inch display is 320×240 and although there seems to be nothing in writing, I would put the color total at 256, enough for a low-res photo to be seen with detail. The screen is bright, and can be adjusted for more or less brightness. You need to take into account that for a better display to function the SMY Touch Box 100W TC would need more power, so rather than use a more modern OLED SMY decided on longer battery life. A sensible decision, for now.

Touch Screen Control – Controlling the Touch Screen is done through four basic touch ‘gestures’. These gestures can be made with the SMY Touch Box 100W TC standing up, on its back, or at any angle that’s comfortable for you.

Placing your fingertip (dry) on the touchscreen (lightly) make an ‘L shaped’ gesture from the top of the box mod, downward. This will give you access to the system menu. From there you can choose a myriad of menu options, which you can see in detail in the accompanying video.

The Touch Screen SMY Touch Box 100W TC features support for background images, many preset images are available to choose from, and you will be able to use your own custom backgrounds when the SMY Touch Box 100W TC upgrade software is released.
The range of devices I have access to are practically unlimited, but I will definitely continue to use the SMY Touch Box 100W TC for a good long while. That doesn’t mean the device is perfect and there is not room for improvement. What it does mean is that SMY is on the right track with a box mod that performs exceptionally well with the added bonus of making the job of fine tuning the vape the easiest of all the devices I have. I can’t wait to see where this touchscreen technology takes us in 2016 and beyond.

The last few features – The USB charge port is on the bottom of the device. It is a 1-amp charge port, so use the cable it comes with. The recharge time is fast, about as fast as recharging a DNA40. Next to the USB port are several venting holes that help assure the device stays within safe temperatures.

The general rule of thumb when using 18650 batteries to power a device is that a single 18650 can output about 75w, a dual 18650 can reach 150w, and a fully charged, hi-amp dual 18650 setup can peak at 200w, but only while fully charged. After the battery begins to drain it will drop back. The SMY Touch Box 100W TC uses dual-18650’s, but only at 1300mAh. Running in Parallel allows for an easy 100W and up to 50a output current, so you might expect the maximum wattage output to go higher with a firmware upgrade. Whether or not SMY will actually do it is another matter, I’m not that familiar with the company.

Before revealing my real world experience with the SMY Touch Box 100W TC I want to tell you that my one issue with the device is the shape. This box mod is definitely a ‘box’ mod. There are no rounded edges, no sloping angles, and nothing is sculpted to your grip. You will know you’re holding a metal box. The bottom and top right edges of the SMY Touch Box 100W TC does have ‘angled’ edges, but they are sharp, not smooth. While I would prefer something easier to grip, perhaps taller and thinner to fit the electronics, its not a deal killer.

Real World Usage with the SMY Touch Box 100W TC

I began this review by stating that my initial thoughts about the SMY Touch Box 100W TC was that the device seemed gimmicky. That went away the minute I began using it. In fact, a couple days of constant use I’ve come to believe the selling price, $99 at DirectVapor, is $99 well spent for this 100w TC mod.

The SMY Touch Box 100W TC is a well built device, and I expect it to last for quite a while. If it doesn’t, I’ll upgrade this review right away. The thing that truly sold me on its usefulness is that clever and well thought out touchscreen interface. The oh-so-easy method of changing modes, setting your favorite setups for later use, these are things that make this device well worth owning. Glancing at the screen will tell you in big letters the wattage or temperature, the ohms of the resistance of your tank, the amperage output in real-time, the mode you’re currently using, the battery life remaining (in the form of a battery icon), the current date and time, as well as the number of ‘puffs’.

I used both Leisure tanks and workhorse tanks these past few days, and it taught me that these dual 1300mAh batteries running in parallel can chew through battery life quickly when using a tank like a Uwell Crown or Rafale. With steady vaping I get about an hour, maybe 90 minutes with this type of tank. Leisure tanks do better, right around 120-180 minutes of steady vaping.

Luckily the device is a pass-through, so sitting at the computer with the device plugged in you’ll charge it, and vape with it at the same time. If you plan some serious vaping while at the computer, I strongly recommend using the USB cable. Since the USB port is on the bottom of the SMY Touch Box 100W TC the cable won’t interfere with your actions.

During my review period, and afterward, every tank I’ve used with it performs as well as they do with any other device. The 100W limit isn’t an issue for 99.99% of vapers, so you can expect excellent performance with whatever tank(s) you decide to use.

Recommendation: Clearly anyone reading about the touchscreen control would enjoy the SMY Touch Box 100W TC. They might find the boxy shape mildly annoying for a couple of hours, but it goes away. The features and specs put the device in good company, and the easy touch navigation makes fun to use. Considering the TFT display, the touchscreen functions, and all the rest, the price is quite reasonable. Before making up your mind, watch the video to see how much fun the SMY Touch Box 100W TC can be. Pick One Up At DirectVapor

Grade: A+

What’s in The Box:

One SMY Touch Box 100W
Manual and Certification Cards
Cleaning Cloth
Micro USB Cable

John Manzione

The Cold Open Review of the SMY Touch Box 100W TC