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

Ready to buy? Get the Vaporesso XROS 5, or fit COREX 3.0 pods to your XROS 4.
The XROS 5 is the newer of the two. Compared with the XROS 4, it has a bigger battery (1500mAh against 1000mAh), a higher charging current (3A against 2A), a 0.88 inch colour screen, wattage control when you fit a 0.4Ω pod and COREX 3.0 pods in the box. The XROS 4 is the lighter kit, at 51.5g against 73.7g, and both take the same XROS pods.
Already decided? The Vaporesso XROS 5 pod kit page has the specs and colours. If not, read on for the full comparison.
The XROS 5 and COREX 3.0 Pods
The XROS 5 kits, and the COREX 3.0 pods, which as XROS pods also fit the XROS 4.
Jump to a section:
- Specs compared
- Battery and charging
- COREX 3.0 vs COREX 2.0 pods
- Screen and display
- Power modes and wattage
- Firing, lock and airflow
- Size and weight
- XROS 4 Mini vs XROS 5 Mini
- XROS 4 Nano vs XROS 5 Nano
- XROS 4 vs the XROS Pro
- Where the XROS Pro 2 fits
- XROS 5 colours
- Which should you buy?
XROS 4 vs XROS 5: Specs Compared
Every figure here is from Vaporesso's own product pages and manuals:
|
Spec |
XROS 5 vs XROS 4 |
|
Battery |
XROS 5: 1500mAh |
|
Charging |
XROS 5: USB-C, 5V/3A or 9V/2A |
|
Vaporesso charge time |
XROS 5: 80% in 20 minutes at 5V/3A (Vaporesso lab) |
|
Display |
XROS 5: 0.88 inch colour screen |
|
Power |
XROS 5: 15 to 30W with the 0.4Ω pod, or PWR, NOR and ECO |
|
Pods in the UK kit |
XROS 5: 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω, COREX 3.0 |
|
Pod size in the UK |
Both: 2ml |
|
Firing |
Both: button or draw |
|
Airflow |
Both: toggle on the back |
|
Weight |
XROS 5: 73.7g |
|
Width and depth |
XROS 5: 24.5 x 14.5mm |
|
Colours |
XROS 5: 14 |
Battery and Charging
This is the biggest difference between the XROS 5 and XROS 4. The XROS 5 has a 1500mAh battery, half as much again as the XROS 4's 1000mAh, so it needs charging less often.
The 5 also charges at a higher current, 3A against 2A. Vaporesso's lab figure for the XROS 5 is 80% in 20 minutes on a 5V/3A charger, and its manual lists 9V/2A charging as well. For the XROS 4, Vaporesso say it charges fully in 30 minutes. One figure is to 80% and the other is to full, so they do not show which kit fills up first.
Vaporesso's XROS 5 page gives 5 days on a full charge from its own lab testing, but does not say how much vaping that assumes. They give no battery life figure for the XROS 4. How long a charge lasts in practice depends on how much you vape and which pod you use.
COREX 3.0 vs COREX 2.0 Pods
Both kits take XROS pods. Vaporesso say the XROS 4 is compatible with the entire XROS pod series, and list the XROS 5 as taking pods from 0.4Ω to 1.2Ω.
The difference is the pod technology in the box. Vaporesso say the XROS 4's 0.4Ω pod uses COREX 2.0, and the XROS 5's 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods use COREX 3.0. According to Vaporesso, COREX 3.0 changes:
- The mesh. Hive Mesh replaces Morph Mesh, with a finer heating wire and more even heat.
- The wire. Changed from nickel chrome to iron chrome aluminium on the 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods.
- The airway. A new chimney design.
- The cotton. A finer nano-microfiber cotton.
- The materials. Aerospace grade, high temperature resistant materials.
Vaporesso say these materials greatly improve the pod's lifespan, but they do not give a figure or compare COREX 3.0 directly with COREX 2.0. They also do not say which generation the XROS 4's 0.8Ω pod is.
If you have an XROS 4 and mainly want the newer pods, you do not need a new kit. Vaporesso say the XROS 4 is compatible with the entire XROS pod series, and the Vaporesso XROS COREX 3.0 pods are part of that series.
Screen and Display
The XROS 5 has a 0.88 inch colour screen with six themes. Its settings menus appear on the screen, and a click or refitting the pod lights it up to show the battery.
The XROS 4 has nothing like the XROS 5's screen. Vaporesso's page calls its display a screen, but the manual lists it as three indicators: mode, power and lock. The battery shows as green, blue or red, from full down to low.
Power Modes and Wattage: XROS 5 vs XROS 4
Both kits change power with 3 clicks within 2 seconds, but they work differently.
XROS 5 power modes and wattages
With the 0.4Ω pod, you set the wattage yourself, from 15W to 30W in 0.5W steps. With a 0.6Ω to 1.2Ω pod, you choose between PWR, NOR and ECO instead. Our XROS 5 setup guide has every button step.
The UK XROS 5 kit comes with 0.6Ω and 0.8Ω pods, so you need to buy a 0.4Ω pod separately to use the wattage setting.
XROS 4 power modes and wattages
The XROS 4 has three output modes, which Vaporesso's page labels Strong, Stronger and Strongest. Click 3 times within 2 seconds, click to change the mode, then wait 3 seconds to save. Vaporesso do not publish a wattage for any of them, and do not describe a wattage setting for the 0.4Ω pod on the XROS 4.
Vaporesso also say the XROS 4's Pulse mode consistently boosts power, for what they call mighty power till the last puff. They make no such claim for the XROS 5.
Firing, Lock and Airflow
- Firing: both the XROS 5 and 4 fire when you press the button or when you draw on the mouthpiece.
- Lock: on the XROS 4, 4 clicks within 2 seconds lock the fire button. On the XROS 5, 4 clicks open a settings menu with SCREEN LOCK and BUTTON ON/OFF.
- Airflow: both have an airflow toggle on the back of the kit.
Size and Weight Comparison
The two kits are almost the same shape. The XROS 5 is a touch wider and thicker, at 24.5 x 14.5mm against 24 x 14mm.
The bigger change is weight. Vaporesso list the XROS 5 at 73.7g and the XROS 4 at 51.5g, so the XROS 5 is about 22g heavier. Vaporesso do not say why, although it does have the bigger battery and a screen. They say the XROS 4 has an all-aluminium alloy unibody, and do not give a body material for the XROS 5.
XROS 4 Mini vs XROS 5 Mini
The Minis are the simple versions: no screen, no button, and they fire when you draw. Here is how the XROS 5 Mini and XROS 4 Mini compare:
|
Spec |
XROS 5 Mini vs 4 Mini |
|
Battery |
5 Mini: 1500mAh |
|
Charging |
5 Mini: USB-C, 2A |
|
Battery display |
5 Mini: 4 lights, the number lit shows the charge |
|
Firing |
Both: draw only |
|
Pod in the box |
5 Mini: one 0.6Ω pod (UK kit) |
|
Weight |
5 Mini: 50.2g aluminium version, 65.2g SMT process version |
|
Colours |
5 Mini: 16 |
The Vaporesso XROS 5 Mini pod kit has the bigger battery and twice the charging current.
The Vaporesso XROS 4 Mini pod kit is the lighter of the two.
XROS 4 Nano vs XROS 5 Nano
The Nanos are the short, wide versions, and here the XROS 5 changes more than the battery:
- XROS 4 Nano: 1350mAh, 2A charging, a 1.3 inch colour screen with 3 themes, and a button as well as draw firing. It sets the wattage in 0.5W steps with the 0.4Ω pod, and has P, N and E modes with the others. Airflow is on the side, and it weighs 90g.
- XROS 5 Nano: 1600mAh, up to 30W, and a 1.09 inch touchscreen. It fires on the draw only, is controlled from the touchscreen and a home button, and weighs 86g. Vaporesso say it charges fully in 45 minutes.
More about the Vaporesso XROS 5 Nano pod kit is on its product page.
XROS 4 vs the Original XROS Pro
Vaporesso call the original XROS Pro the first XROS with a screen, and the XROS Pro 2 page calls it the first generation. Against the XROS 4, the XROS Pro has:
- A 1200mAh battery, against 1000mAh, with a 35 minute full charge in Vaporesso's figures.
- Wattage up to 30W with the 0.4Ω pod, and P, N and E modes with the others.
- A 0.42 inch OLED screen showing wattage, puff count and battery.
- A slide lock on the side for the fire button. Vaporesso say draw firing still works when it is locked.
It is also heavier, at 86g. Its successor is the XROS Pro 2, below.
Where Does the XROS Pro 2 Fit?
If battery is what matters most, the Vaporesso XROS Pro 2 pod kit has the biggest battery of any kit in this guide, at 2000mAh.
- Weight: 70g in Vaporesso's spec table, in what they call a magnesium alloy body. Their flyer says 65g.
- Screen: 0.96 inch colour screen.
- Charging: 5V/2A over USB-C.
- Controls: the same 1 to 5 click layout as the XROS 5. It also has Super Pulse, which Vaporesso say keeps the output up from full to low battery.
- Puff history: shows your maximum and average puff counts over 1, 7 or 30 days.
XROS 5 Colours
Vaporesso list the XROS 5 in 14 colours:
- Cosmic Black, Lavender Purple, Coral Red, Jade Green and Carbon Stripe.
- Silk: Grey Silk, Blue Silk and Violet Silk.
- Opal: Opal Pink and Opal White.
- Leather: Black Leather, Brown Leather, Grey Leather and Red Leather.
The XROS 4 comes in 10 colours, and the XROS 5 Mini in 16.
XROS 4 or XROS 5: Which Should You Buy?
- Upgrading from an XROS 4? The XROS 5 is worth it for the bigger battery, the higher charging current and the colour screen. If you mainly want the newer pods, which Vaporesso say give a richer aroma and a more delicate flavour, try COREX 3.0 pods in your XROS 4 first.
- First refillable pod kit? The XROS 5. It has the bigger battery, the colour screen and comes with COREX 3.0 pods.
- Want the lightest kit? The XROS 4 Mini, at 46.5g. Of the two main kits, the XROS 4 is lighter, at 51.5g against 73.7g.
- Want the biggest battery? The XROS Pro 2, at 2000mAh.
- No button and no screen? The XROS 5 Mini.
There is also a newer generation above both. Our XROS 6 vs XROS 5 comparison explains whether it is worth going straight to the XROS 6.
To see every current model side by side, browse the Vaporesso XROS range.
The rest of the brand is in our Vaporesso vapes range.
Other Vaporesso XROS Kits
The other XROS kits mentioned above.
Frequently Asked Questions
About the author - Shane Margereson
















