What’s up vapefam!
SirRisc here with another gear review!
On todays menu is a mod a lot of us have been waiting for for a long time, the first Innokin mod to have temperature control.
Ladies and gentlevapers, meet the Innokin Cortex!
The Innokin Cortex was sent to me for the purpose of this review by Innokin themselves! Thank you Innokin!
Premise.
It has taken Innokin a long time to follow the trend of temperature control mods, but when Innokin does something they want it to be perfect.
And that’s just what they’ve done with the Cortex, they’ve developed their own board and tested it extensively during the passed year to make it as close to perfect as possible.
However with the current limitations of hardware, there’s only so much accuracy to be found in temperature control.
Innokin claims to have one of the most precise and accurate temperature control systems on the market to date with their own chip, the Ikarno S1.
So has Innokin done well with their first TC mod? Let’s find out!
Note: the Cortex kit comes with an Innokin iSub S tank, but I will not be going into details on it yet.
I will be doing a separate review of the Innokin iSub S, iSub Apex5 and the new iSub RBA soon™.
Specifications.
- Temperature control for Ni200 and Ti01
- Variable Wattage: 6W to 80W in 0.5W increments
- Precision Temperature Control with maximum 5°C deviation
- 150°C to 315°C or 300°F to 600°F (Both in 5° increments)
- 99% Efficiency
- DC Signal for stabilised power output (EG: No pulsing when it reaches temperature)
- Ultra-low external heat generation
- Dry Hit Detection & Prevention
- Ultra Low Standby Power Consumption
- 5V/2A Fast USB charging
- Big OLED display on the bottom
- Aluminium Oxidised finish
- iSub S and 2 spare Ni200 coils included
Packaging.
The Cortex comes in a big silver box with a black band embossed into it.
You’ll see the Cortex logo embossed into the black band and underneath, for the first time with Innokin, Temperature Control Vaping System.
On the side of the box are warnings that the device hasn’t been evaluated by the FDA in black lettering.
On the back are all the specifications of the Cortex, and the contents of the box.
Once you take the silver sleeve off and open the box, you’re greeted with a quick start guide and a foam insert holding the Cortex and the iSub S tank with a Ni200 coilhead installed.
The insert pops out with the ribbon and hides the usermanual, a set of spare o-rings, two spare coilheads, a USB charging cable, and two Innokin stickers underneath.
On the quick start guide is a warning: "This is very important. You must read this before continuing."
Folding it open is important indeed if this is your first TC mod.
It explains that the Cortex will only operate with TC coils if the TC mode is selected, and powermode only works with Kanthal or SS.
On the back of the manual is a crash course on how to prime your coils, why you should select the mode on the mod before attaching your coils, and a quick operation guide.
Performance.
The Cortex has a built-in battery of 3300mAh, which seems to last me a fairly long time.
I can get about a day and a half out of the mod without having to charge, and that’s while using the Cortex as my all-day-vape.
Charging via USB is easy and can be very quick if you use a wall adapter that can handle 2A charging.
Innokin does advise on using their 2A charger but it isn’t included in the package.
I use a 5 port wall-adapter that can handle 3.4A total and 2A on a single port.
In variable wattage mode the mod can push out a very comfortable 80W, which should be sufficient for most sub-ohm vapers.
The output is stable down to the last percentages of the battery.
While most mods will suffer from dropping power on the last percentages, the Cortex seems to hold up nicely and push out the wattage it’s set at, though with a short delay.
The most important feature of this mod is of course the temperature control.
Innokin has developed their own board, the Ikarno S1, and wanted it to be very accurate.
The board can handle temperature control on Ni200 and Ti01 wire and is supposed to be accurate down to 5°C.
Unfortunately the equipment to test this accuracy is quite expensive and I have little to no use for it outside of these reviews, so I will have to take Innokins word for the accuracy.
However as a user I can say the output, with either of the alloys, feels stable and consistent.
Using the mod in TC mode needs a warning though: if you want to attach an atomizer with TC capable coils you’ll need to set the mod into TC mode before attaching the atomizer.
If you don’t, you may burn the wicking as the mod doesn’t detect wether or not a TC capable coil is attached.
Another feature of the mod that is fairly noticeable is the screen.
The screen isn’t on the side but rather on the bottom of the device.
Two small buttons are just to the side of the display and that’s how you’ll be switching through options.
Holding the two buttons together will first show you the puffcounter and battery voltage, but if you keep holding them it will switch into a menu that allows you to select the alloy.
Changing the wattage in VW mode or the temperature in TC mode can be done by holding the plus or minus button until the number on the display blinks.
Adjusting the wattage is done in 0.5W increments, adjusting temperature is done in 5° increments.
Aesthetics.
From the first look at the device when it was posted on the Innokin Facebook page, I had a hunch this would be a device I would fall for.
The body is rounded to fit the hand perfectly, the subtle accents on the side give away nothing of how powerful this device is, and the button sits completely flush to compliment the overall smooth look.
The display on the bottom was the only thing I was skeptical about, but Innokin has taken this into account by raising the edge of the device slightly so the display doesn’t serve as the bottom.
After using this mod for a couple of weeks and even making the mistake once to carry it in the same pocket as my keys, the display still looks brand new. Not a scratch anywhere.
The finish, a matte black in my case, is made with an aluminium oxidation process, and feels a bit odd to the touch at first.
I’ve heard several people complain about the way it feels but I quite like the grip the finish provides.
The only disadvantage I could find is that it does color if you rub keys against it. The finish holds up, the keys don’t.
On the bottom is a big display that will show you all the info you need.
Batterylevel, real-time resistance and type of wire, real-time poweroutput, temperature and a pufftimer.
On the back of the device is the USB charging port, and that’s where I found one flaw in the Cortex.
The USB plug is seated fairly deep into the mod and seems to hate several of the USB cables I own.
The included iTazte cable doesn’t pose any problems, but other cables might.
Pros and Cons.
Pro.
- Long lasting battery
- Ergonomic shape
- Button sits completely flush
- Big display
- Very stable temperature control functionality, DC output means no pulsing
- Charges very quickly at 2A
- Very lightweight
- Low power consumption
Con.
- Display can’t be flipped
- Button feels a bit cheap
- USB port sits a bit too deep
- No temperature control for stainless steel
In conclusion.
The Cortex is Innokins first foray into temperature control and in my opinion, they hit the spot right away.
The mod feels solid and the Ikarno S1 board performs great in both power mode and temperature control mode.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the finish is your own call but I like the added grip it gives, especially in this formfactor.
Would I buy another if this one was broken? Without a doubt.
Would I advise on the Cortex for an all-in-one temperature control kit? Definitely!
Overall the Cortex is a well designed mod and Innokin have definitely done their homework.
In closing I would like to thank Innokin for sending me the Cortex kit for review!
And of course all of you who read my reviews, thank you very much!
Join me next time as I look at the Vaporesso Target, a mod designed to look a bit like the old C64 joysticks!
Need to reach me? Head over to my website.
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Want to know more about DIY? Head over to ELR
#staycloudy !
SirRisc disappears in a cloud of creamy apple scented vapor