VOOPOO ARGUS A Review: Not One, but TWO Displays!

Design & Build Quality

The ARGUS A is a short and stubby box shape. It’s like a box mod that has been shrunken down, only this device takes pods instead of a tank. It’s 93mm tall, 44mm wide and 22mm deep and it weighs 110g with an empty pod. It’s compact for sure but it’s chunky and has some noticeable weight to it as well.

The body is made of zinc alloy and aluminum alloy and it feels remarkably solid. Coupled with the weight, the ARGUS A feels sturdy and durable. The body is rigid with no bend to it at all and it just feels firm and dependable.

The dual-zone display is the stand out feature of the ARGUS A. It consists of one screen that is shaped like a large crescent moon, and another that is a large circle.

The top screen displays a VOOPOO logo, the output mode, coil resistance, and a puff counter. It also has five bars at the top of the screen which sequentially light up according to the length of your draw.

The lower screen displays your battery life percent, as well as your set wattage. Both screens are full color and a decent resolution as well.

The dual zone display makes the ARGUS A look different from other pod vapes on the market, but is it really necessary? Everything the two screens show could have been shown on a single display. However, since there’s no compromise for the two displays, I suppose that this is a moot point. VOOPOO did it because they could and I applaud them for finding a way to make the ARGUS A stand out.

On one side of the ARGUS A is a power/firing button, an ON/OFF switch, and the Type-C charging port. On the other is an airflow adjustment slider. The button, switch, and slider all feel tactile and responsive. I particularly like the airflow slider because it’s smooth but has some resistance to it as well so it stays where you set it.

Pods

The ARGUS A, like other ARGUS devices, uses VOOPOO’s range of Argus pods. It’s compatible with all Argus pods but it comes with two of the new and upgraded ones, called ‘Top Fill’ cartridges. In total there are six pods available:

• 3ml, 0.7Ω ARGUS Top Fill Cartridge (New)
• 3ml, 0.4Ω ARGUS Top Fill Cartridge (New)
• 2ml, 0.7Ω ARGUS Top Fill Cartridge (New)
• 2ml, 0.4Ω ARGUS Top Fill Cartridge (New)
• 2ml, 0.7Ω ARGUS Pod Cartridge
• 2ml, 1.2Ω ARGUS Pod Cartridge

The first two of these cartridges, the 0.7Ω and 0.4Ω pods, are included with the kit. These new pods are tinted so it’s not the easiest to see into them but holding them up to a light source does the trick.

As you’ll notice, these are called ‘Top Fill’ cartridges but that’s a little confusing because the fill port is still located on the side. What this actually means though, is that the fill port sits above the device. But unlike other Argus devices, where this means that you could fill the pod without having to remove it from the device, the pods sit in the ARGUS A a little too deeply. Because of this, it’s much more difficult to remove the fill plug and fill without removing the pod. It’s still possible to do, but it’s easier to just remove the pod.

Features

The main feature of the ARGUS A is the dual zone display and the modes and features that you can access through it. 

There are three modes on the ARGUS A: Power, ECO, and SUPER. Power mode is the only one of these three modes which allows you to adjust the wattage. In ECO mode the power output is fixed at a lower wattage, while SUPER mode fixes the wattage at a higher output.

To change modes you press the button five times to enter the menu and then select ‘Mode’ by pressing and holding the button. The other menu options can be cycled through by quickly pressing the button. The other menu options are puff clear, usage record, and lock.

Usage record shows a history of your usage with the ARGUS A total puffs, daily average puffs, average puff duration and average wattage used.

The locking function locks the button from firing, which is useful if you’re a strictly draw-activated vaper. 

To change the wattage in power mode, you can press the button three times. The wattage will start to blink and you can use the button to set the wattage to your desired output. The wattage is limited though by the resistance of the coil that you’re using; for the 0.7Ω pod the wattage can be set to a maximum of 18W, for the 0.4Ω pod the wattage can be set up to 30W.

The displays, other than the small VOOPOO logo on the upper screen, can also be turned off by pressing the power button twice.

When you vape, a flame animation plays on the lower screen. It’s a bit much for me  though so I tend to turn the display off by pressing the power button twice.

Airflow Adjustment

The airflow slider switch on the side of the ARGUS A can be used to alter the airflow from a restricted direct lung draw down to a tight mouth to lung draw. The 0.7Ω pod is better for MTL, while the 0.4Ω pod is better for direct lung vaping.

With the airflow open, the 0.7Ω pod delivers a very loose MTL vape that can also be used for RDL vaping by keeping your lips a bit loose around the pod. Closing down the airflow makes the draw a tighter and tighter MTL.

The 0.4Ω pod is a slightly restricted direct lung draw wide open and can even be a tight mouth to lung draw with the airflow closed.

Good airflow range with both of these pods and they aren’t too different from one another in terms of the airflow. However, I found the 0.7Ω pod better for MTL vaping and the 0.4Ω slightly better for RDL because of the slightly differing draws. The 0.4Ω pod also lets you use higher wattages, which is more favorable and more suited for RDL vaping.

Battery and Charging

The ARGUS A has a 1100mAh battery, which is a good size for a pod device. Two to three days of vaping with this device is what I averaged, depending on the pod. The battery with the 0.7Ω pod lasts closer to three full days while the battery with the 0.4Ω pod and its higher wattage needs lasts closer to two days.

The ARGUS A charges very quickly with its 2A Type-C charging and takes just under 40 minutes to come to a full charge. There’s very little downtime with this device, which is great if you’re someone like me who is constantly vaping.

While charging the ARGUS A displays an estimated charge time on the screen and the battery percentage is updated as it goes. 

Performance

Where do I start with these pods? I guess by saying that they’re really good! These ‘Top Fill’ pods are the same ones as used by a lot of VOOPOO’s other, newer ARGUS devices and they’re rated as having a 90ml coil lifespan without burning and as leak free for 30 days of standing. 

From my testing with the ARGUS A and after having used both pods extensively, these pods hold up really well. They both bring out the flavor of my ejuices really well and they’ve each lasted through many refills without even a small change in their performance.

Both pods can handle low strength nicotine salt ejuices and I would definitely stick to an ejuice at or under 25mg/ml for the 0.4Ω pod. The 0.7Ω pod can handle higher nicotine strengths up to and including 50mg/ml.

The best use of each pod, in my opinion, is as follows: nicotine salt ejuices and MTL vaping with the 0.7Ω pod, and low strength nicotine salts or freebase nicotine ejuices and RDL/loose MTL vaping with the 0.4Ω pod. That’s how I achieved the best performance out of each pod but you’re obviously free to experiment yourself!

Verdict

The ARGUS A is yet another great addition to VOOPOO’s Argus series of devices. It’s a bit pudgy and weighty but it feels really solid and durable. The dual zone display is also a cool design feature that sets it apart from other pod vapes on the market.

Since the ARGUS A uses the new Top Fill Argus pods, which we’ve reviewed extensively with other Argus devices, it’s really no surprise that the ARGUS A delivers in the performance department. Excellent flavor, good ejuice compatibility, long pod life and leak resistance are all things that the ARGUS A provides, plus good battery life and quick charging too.

There’s a lot to love about the ARGUS A and I for one am a fan. Easily recommended for MTL vapers, RDL vapers, or both!

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