So I'm reviewing this after about four months of ownership. I previously had a love-hate relationship with the Koko Prime, and in my review of that device, I noted that it had some real problems with quality control. I bought two of them, the first of which was one of the nicest little devices I've ever used, and the second of which was a lemon. Based on that experience, I wanted to hold off on reviewing the AK2 until I was confident it was going to last.The good news is that my two biggest issue with the previous model have both been resolved. The USB-C port never gave me any trouble at all (a serious weak point on the G2), and the new magnetic pod retainer was pretty much bulletproof for me. The sleeker, thinner new case is really nice
● the replaceable faceplates on the G2 were such a cool idea, but with no replacement plates for sale anywhere (or blank plates you could slap stickers on), you couldn't actually do much to personalize your device. The finish on the AK2 held up really well, and it's a really easy shape to customize with vinyl or stickers if you like that sort of thing (I do.)Vapor quantity wasn't crazy, but flavor was awesome. I've been using a lot of the Unsalted juices, Royal Mango, a couple of different RAD flavors, and a fair bit of DIY. Pods were lasting me easily 2-3 weeks, and I don't recall getting a single dry hit. The new pods are also a lot more forgiving of sneaking a few extra hits after you've reached the MIN line. The 2ml tank size sucks and there's no getting around that, but it's hardly Uwell's fault those regulations exist. The battery would get me through my daily usage (3-4ml of juice), and charges pretty quick. Like the G2, you can use it while it's charging, which is a plus over a lot of pod systems I've tried.So improved build quality, great flavor, decent enough battery, but I'm only giving it three stars? Well, the Achilles' Heel of the AK2 is the pods: they leak. No matter how careful you are to avoid overfilling, no matter how religious you are about keeping it stored upright all day, you're going to get some seepage down into the vape itself. This was an issue on the G2 as well, but it was quick and easy to pop that fella open and clean it out with a little isopropyl if the draw sensor path got gummy. Unfortunately, the AK2 is significantly harder to open, and doing so will permanently damage the black plastic endcap. The combination of leaky pods and no easy way to get inside the device to clean it means once you start having draw issues, your poor AK2's days are numbered. After about two months, the draw sensor started sticking open, requiring the pod to be popped out to get it to stop. I was able to clean it a couple of times and buy a few more weeks, but eventually it started firing spontaneously or just from being moved, and at that point the device is borderline dangerous.I may just be expecting too much from a $30 device, and perhaps just replacing it every 3 months isn't THAT crazy, but my $12 Minican has been going strong for well over a year now with way less hassles. Even with the quality issues I had with the G2, those lasted several times as long. If you're not bothered at the thought of the vape itself being a wear item, there's a lot to like about the AK2. If Uwell could just get their pod issues ironed out, I would be a loyal customer for life.
