Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini | how it differs from the Xros 5

The name of the Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini suggests a shorter Xros 5, and shop listings add to the confusion, some crediting it with 30 W and others with 16 W. To see what this launch really changes, it has to sit next to two devices, the Xros 5 it shares a generation with and the Xros 4 Mini from the generation before, using only the figures Vaporesso itself publishes.

Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini, an Xros 5 without the screen or power control

The Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini keeps the core of the Xros 5, namely the 1,500 mAh battery, the Xros pods and COREX 3.0 heating. It drops the screen, the fire button and power adjustment. Vaporesso describes it as an entry-level mouth-to-lung device that fires when you draw and is tuned through its airflow.

Compared with the Xros 4 Mini, the step up is clear on battery, 1,500 mAh against 1,000, and on charging, 2 A against 1 A. You pay for it in grams, more or less depending on the version.

Xros 5 Mini against Xros 5, Vaporesso’s own figures

Both devices carry the same number, but their spec sheets differ on nearly everything you can see or adjust. Here are the figures as Vaporesso lists them, with the kit contents of the TPD edition, whose 2 ml pods fit the UK cap.

Feature	Xros 5 Mini	Xros 5
Dimensions	110.5 × 24.2 × 14.1 mm	120 × 24.5 × 14.5 mm
Weight	65.2 g, or 50.2 g for the aluminium version	73.7 g
Battery	1,500 mAh	1,500 mAh
USB-C charging	2 A	3 A
Display	Four charge lights	0.88-inch screen
Firing	On the draw	On the draw or by button
Power	No adjustment listed	15 to 30 W with the 0.4 ohm pod, three modes otherwise
Pods in the kit	One, 0.6 ohm	Two, 0.6 and 0.8 ohm

The screen is where the gap lies. It lets you set power in 0.5 W steps, but Vaporesso only lists that with the 0.4 ohm pod, which is not in the TPD kit. With the pods supplied, the Xros 5 offers three modes (power, normal and eco) rather than a precise value.

Charging is the other difference. Vaporesso quotes 80% charge in 20 minutes at 5 V and 3 A for the Xros 5, based on its own lab, and gives no charging time for the Mini, which is limited to 2 A.

What the Mini changes compared with the Xros 4 Mini

The previous generation is the real reference point, since it aims at the same use without a screen. Three changes stand out from the two official pages.

The battery gains half its capacity again, from 1,000 to 1,500 mAh, and charging current doubles from 1 A to 2 A. The indicator moves from a single light with three colours to four lights that split the charge into 25% steps.

The heating moves up a generation. The Xros 4 Mini was presented with a 0.4 ohm pod using COREX 2.0. The Xros 5 Mini relies on COREX 3.0, which Vaporesso currently applies to its 0.6 and 0.8 ohm pods, with other resistances to follow.

Weight goes up. The all-aluminium Xros 4 Mini weighed 46.5 g for 108.8 mm. The Xros 5 Mini adds 18.7 g in its standard version and only 3.7 g in its aluminium version, for 1.7 mm more length.

The 30 W and 16 W on listings, and what Vaporesso publishes

Power is the figure retailers disagree on most. Vaporesso’s official Xros 5 Mini page gives no maximum wattage, no range and no fixed value.

The 15 to 30 W range does appear on Vaporesso’s site, but on the Xros 5 page and only with the 0.4 ohm pod. No official source ties either 30 W or 16 W to the Mini. When comparing two pod kits, a figure missing from the maker’s page should be left out.

That silence makes sense. The Mini fires on the draw, with no button or menu, so there is no wattage to choose. Vaporesso gives it one adjustment only, the airflow.

Xros pods, what the compatibility covers

Compatibility is the range’s strong point, and the one thing that does not change between generations. Vaporesso lists the Xros 5 Mini as compatible with Xros pods, showing the whole series on its page, as it did for the Xros 4 Mini.

In practice, pods bought for an Xros 4 Mini fit the Xros 5 Mini. The series runs from 0.4 to 1.2 ohm, all top-filled, and Vaporesso adds a leak-resistance technology it calls SSS, with no figure attached on the page.

The page does not say whether the 2 ml pods sold in the UK already carry COREX 3.0. Check the pod packaging before counting on that upgrade.

Who the Xros 5 Mini suits, and who the Xros 5 suits

The choice depends less on the generation than on whether you want to adjust your device. To place this kind of launch among the others, our grid for judging a new vape kit asks the same questions of every device.

The Xros 5 Mini is aimed at an adult mouth-to-lung vaper who wants no screen or menu and prefers a shorter device. Its aluminium version is the lighter of the two Xros 5 models.

The Xros 5 suits anyone who plans to use the 0.4 ohm pod and its power range, or who wants faster charging. Vaporesso describes it as covering mouth-to-lung through to restricted direct lung thanks to its airflow control. For an Xros 4 Mini owner, moving to the fifth-generation Mini mostly brings the battery, and the existing pods still fit.

FAQ

A few practical points that shop listings tend to leave out.

How do I read the battery level on the Xros 5 Mini?

By counting the lights. Four lights mean 75 to 100%, three mean 50 to 75%, two mean 25 to 50%, and one means under 25%.

What comes in the box of the TPD edition?

The device, a 0.6 ohm Xros pod already fitted, a USB-C cable, a user manual with its warranty card, and a reminder card.

Is the Xros 5 Mini suitable for direct lung vaping?

Vaporesso presents it as a mouth-to-lung device. The mention of use up to restricted direct lung appears on the Xros 5 page, not on the Mini’s.

Why do some listings quote 3 ml pods?

Because the Xros pod also exists in a 3 ml version for other markets. In the UK, a refillable tank or pod is capped at 2 ml, and nicotine e-liquid at 20 mg/ml, so the kit sold here uses the 2 ml pod.

Do the two Mini versions differ in anything but weight?

Vaporesso lists a standard version at 65.2 g and an aluminium version at 50.2 g, with no other technical difference on the page. Weight is the only documented gap.

Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini, a launch by subtraction

This Mini does not reinvent the Xros 5. It takes away the screen, the button and the power control, keeping the battery, the newer heating and the airflow adjustment. Compared with the Xros 4 Mini, it adds a bigger battery and faster charging without breaking with existing pods. The 30 W or 16 W credited to the Vaporesso Xros 5 Mini do not come from its official spec sheet. At the kiosk, every launch is first set against the generation before it.

Also at the kiosk

Kiosque à Songes publishes editorial content for adult readers only. Vaping products usually contain nicotine, which is addictive, and nicotine vaping products are not for sale to under-18s in the UK. This piece describes kit and is not a buying recommendation.