The Janty MiD One is a really powerful and versatile vaping device that’s easily the most advanced I’ve ever used. As far as power goes, it offers variable-voltage performance up to eight volts and variable-wattage performance up to 25 watts. In terms of versatility, the mod holds four profiles that can house different settings. What makes it different from other top-of-the-line VV/VW mods is that it uses a joystick controller and eschews an alphanumeric screen in favor of an LED display that shows colors. It also pairs with a PC app that gives it capabilities that no other vaping device has, as well as a community aspect.
Like I mentioned in Vaping Diaries #30, the MiD One is similar to buying a videogame. When you purchase a game, you get a complete experience that can be enhanced by buying additional downloadable content. The MiD One offers a number of features out of the box, but can be enhanced by purchasing “modules” that give it additional capabilities.
While it’s clearly a unique, powerful, and versatile device, I have no doubt that it will be one of the most polarizing mods of 2013. It’s just so different from anything else and will elicit strong reactions. The atypical controls and the need to use a PC to get the most out of the device will definitely split people. I’m still forming my opinion on the MiD One. For now, here are some impressions of my ten days with the mod. Please keep in mind that this is a prototype, so the aesthetics will definitely improve, while the functionality has a chance to get better.
Build Quality: The MiD One looks like an eGo-style vaping device, but bigger. The body is made from metal that’s coated with a rubberized plastic that has a nice feel. It’s thinner than most 18650 tube mods, which isn’t surprising since it uses 16340 batteries. The device comes with a 4ml cartomizers with a plastic tip, but it can use any standard 510 atomizers, cartomizers, or clearomizers.
For the most part, the unit’s construction is quality. It feels good in the hand and I really liked the plastic-coated metal body. The one thing I didn’t like was the battery cap. It has a stylish Janty logo on it, but the branding makes the mod slightly unstable while it’s standing vertically. It can stand upright just fine, but a slight shake will cause it to fall. Of course the final model will look prettier, but I hope Janty is able to make logo flatter or make the balance more bottom heavy to add stability.
Controls: Vapers online have been blasting the MiD One’s atypical controls (even though they’ve never used them). As far as the prototype goes, it’s not as bad as some people think, but it’s also not as good as it could be. As you can see from the diagram above, the joystick-and-LED combo allows you to do a lot, but it also requires some studying. Some people will pick things up quickly and get used to the system. Others will never get used to it. Memorizing different numbers of button clicks, button presses, and colors will definitely be a deal-breaker for some people. While I understand some of the technical reasons Janty didn’t go with an alphanumeric display, the company would be having an easier time attracting potential customers with a more traditional system.
In the video above, I used the example of checking atomizer resistance. To do so, it’s three clicks to the left to bring up monitoring, followed by one click to the left for the atomizer. The Janty cartomizer is rated at 2.5 ohms, so the display showed two long flashes followed by five short flashes. While it’s certainly not as convenient as having a full alphanumeric display, it was easy enough for me to remember how to check resistance. That said, I totally understand why some people won’t like checking resistance this way.
As for me, I’m still learning the system and there are definitely times when I need to use the chart for reference. Having said that, I’m confident that it’s something I’d get used to with time. As a gamer, I disagree with the use of analog-stick style controller. Controlling the MiD One would definitely be easier with a D-pad style controller. Again, this is a prototype model. Janty still has time to improve the tactility and accuracy of the joystick.
App: As a tech nerd, I love what Janty is doing with this app. It blends powerful features and community. The interesting feature here is creating different variable-voltage or variable-wattage profiles. You can set a timeline as long as 12 seconds and have the voltage/wattage fluctuate as you wish. This makes for some really novel and never-seen-before vaping possibilities. You can do things like increase power with a drag, start at a high power and decrease with time, create a bell-curve like vape, or spike things all over the place. If you’re not the imaginative sort, you can check out profiles made by other vapers and try them out on your device. As a longtime Internet writer that’s a huge believer in online community, I love this feature.
The “monitoring” page is really cool too. This lets you see — in real time — the amps, voltage, wattage, and battery life of the MiD One, as well as the resistance of the equipment attached to it. I confess to wasting a lot of time vaping while staring at the monitoring screen, for no other reason except to see what’s going on with the equipment while I’m vaping. It’s good, nerdy fun.
The app is only available for Windows PC. If you’re a Mac user then you’ll need to use Bootcamp or Parallels. Janty has an Android app in the works too, which should be exciting. Since my primary work machine is a Mac, I’m disappointed that there isn’t a native app for OS X. To be fair, when Ovale and Joyetech first released the eVic, the app for that mod was initially Windows only.
Modules: As a gamer, I’m totally used to buying this way. I’m not sure older vapers and/or non-gaming vapers will be as receptive. I like that MiD One owners only need to pay for the features they use. This is a good thing.
My favorite module is “Realtime Vaping Enabler.” This lets you adjust the voltage/wattage on the fly by pushing up or down on the joystick. Janty equates this with taking a longer drag or a shorter puff from a tobacco cigarette. The company totally nailed this one.
Initial Impression: I really love how bold Janty is being with the MiD One. It’s a very different approach to vaping that has more in common with modern consumer electronics than other vaping devices. Electronics have become as much about software and services as they are about hardware. That’s what Janty is trying to serve up here.
The thing with being different is that it draws strong reactions. The MiD One hasn’t even been released yet and people are already drawing conclusions. I’ve used a prototype for 10 days and I still think it’s too soon to conclude anything. Janty still has time to improve the MiD One experience. Right now I think the software and services are there, but the hardware needs some smoothing out. There’s enormous potential with the MiD One, but there’s also a chance that it won’t get realized. I’m excited to see if Janty can bring it all together.
