Vaporesso XROS 4 vs XROS 5: What's Actually Different?

I've had both the XROS 4 and XROS 5 on rotation for a while now. They look almost identical sitting next to each other on my desk. Same shape. Same size, near enough. If someone swapped the labels you'd struggle to tell them apart at a glance.

But pick them up and use them for a few days? Different story. The XROS 5 has genuine upgrades in the places that matter for daily use. Whether they're worth it depends on what's bugging you about your current setup.

Battery and Charging

This is the big one.

The XROS 4 runs a 1000mAh battery with 2A USB-C charging. Full charge takes about 30 minutes, and I'd get through most of a day on normal use before it needed topping up. Heavy chain vaping sessions? I was reaching for the cable by mid-afternoon.

XROS 5 bumps that to 1500mAh with 3A fast charging. Vaping360 tested a full charge at 26 minutes, which matches what I've seen. The extra 500mAh sounds modest on paper but it's a 50% increase. I'm comfortably getting a full day out of it, sometimes stretching into the next morning if I'm not hammering it.

The charging speed is where it gets silly. Ten minutes plugged in while you're making a brew gives you enough for hours. That alone sold me on the upgrade.

COREX 2.0 vs 3.0 Pods

Both kits use Vaporesso XROS pods and every pod in the range works in either device. So you're not locked in.

The XROS 4 shipped with COREX 2.0 pods. Solid flavour, reliable, lasted me about a week per pod with sweet liquids.

XROS 5 introduced COREX 3.0. The Hive Mesh coil structure spreads heat more evenly and the upgraded cotton wicks faster. In practice: cleaner flavour that holds up longer before dropping off, and fewer dry hits when the liquid gets low. I'm getting a couple of extra days per pod compared to 2.0 on the same juice.

Here's the thing though - you can buy COREX 3.0 pods separately and use them in your XROS 4. You get most of the flavour improvement without buying a new kit. The XROS 5 does seem to squeeze a bit more out of them, but the pods themselves are the bigger upgrade.

Screen and Display

The XROS 4 doesn't have a screen. It uses coloured LED indicators - green, blue, red - for battery level and power mode. Functional but basic. You learn to read the colours after a few days.

XROS 5 has a 0.88-inch colour screen showing battery percentage, wattage, pod resistance, puff count, and six theme options. It's small but sharp. I didn't think I'd care about having a screen on a pod kit but checking exact battery percentage instead of guessing from LED colours is genuinely handy.

Power Modes and Wattage

Both max out at 30W. Both have Eco, Normal, and Power presets.

The difference: the XROS 5 unlocks precise wattage control in 0.5W steps when you slot in a 0.4Ω pod. Every other pod resistance gives you the same three presets as the XROS 4. So if you're using the 0.8Ω or 1.2Ω pods with nic salts, the power control is functionally identical between the two kits.

The XROS 5 also holds power more consistently as the battery drains. With the XROS 4, I'd notice weaker hits once it dropped below about 30%. The 5 keeps hitting the same right until it dies.

Airflow

Both have the sliding airflow adjuster on the back. Both cover MTL through to restricted DTL.

The XROS 5's slider moves more smoothly and has more usable positions between tight and open. It's not a dramatic difference. But if you're fussy about dialling in your exact draw - and a lot of ex-smokers are - the 5 gives you finer control.

XROS 4 Mini vs XROS 5 Mini

The Minis follow the same pattern as the full-size kits but stripped back. No screen, no fire button, draw-activated only.

Same 50% battery jump. Charging is faster on the 5 Mini too, though not as quick as the full-size XROS 5 since it uses 2A instead of 3A. If you want the simplest possible vape with no screen and no buttons, the Mini range is where to look.

Where Does the XROS Pro 2 Fit?

If battery life is your main thing, the XROS Pro 2 is worth knowing about. It packs a 2000mAh battery into a body that weighs just 65g thanks to a magnesium alloy shell. That's the biggest battery in any stick-style pod kit I've seen.

It charges at 2A (slower than the XROS 5's 3A) and takes about 50-60 minutes for a full charge. But you're charging less often, so it balances out. It has a 0.96-inch colour screen, the same COREX 3.0 pods, and Vaporesso added puff tracking with daily and weekly charts if you're trying to keep an eye on your usage.

The Pro 2 sits above the XROS 5 in the range. If you don't want to think about charging for a full day or more, it's the one to look at. If the XROS 5's battery gets you through the day comfortably, save yourself the difference.

Which Should You Buy?

Upgrading from XROS 4? If the battery annoys you, the XROS 5 fixes it. If the XROS 4 does the job and you want better flavour, just buy COREX 3.0 pods for it and save the money.

First refillable pod kit? Go straight for the XROS 5. Better battery, better pods in the box, the screen is useful, and it'll age better. The XROS 4 is still a solid kit if you find it on sale, but the 5 is the smarter starting point.

Want maximum battery? XROS Pro 2. Nothing else in this form factor matches 2000mAh at 65g.

Prefer no screen, no fuss? XROS 5 Mini. Same battery as the full XROS 5, simpler operation.

Browse the full Vaporesso XROS range to compare all the current models side by side. Every XROS pod works in every XROS kit, so whichever you pick, you're buying into a system that isn't going anywhere.