The current IQOS generation is a genuine break with everything that came before. Every older device – from the IQOS 2.4 to the IQOS 3 DUO – used a ceramic blade that the stick was pushed onto. The blade heated up and glycerine and nicotine were released from the tobacco.
How the SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM works
In the ILUMA the principle is the same, except the heating element now sits inside every single TEREA stick. It is a tiny stainless-steel-coated blade heated without contact by an induction coil in the holder. Philip Morris calls the technology the SMARTCORE INDUCTION SYSTEM.
The tobacco is heated more evenly and more gently, nothing chars anywhere, and you taste the difference straight away. Drawing is easier too – anyone switching from an IQOS 3 DUO notices it on the first stick.
Why TEREA and HEETS are not interchangeable
One important rule follows from the technology: the sticks cannot be swapped. Put a HEETS stick into an ILUMA and nothing happens – the stick has no heating element inside.
The other way round is worse. TEREA sticks are sealed at the bottom. In an older blade-based IQOS that seal chars immediately, and the blade itself can snap against the metal element inside the stick. It is one of the most common self-inflicted faults there is.
Two big advantages of the sealed stick
The seal at the bottom has two very practical consequences. First, all the residue from the heated tobacco stays inside the stick. There is nothing to clean, nothing chars, and no tobacco can be left behind in the holder.
Second, TEREA sticks smell far less. The odour is noticeably weaker and bothers people around you much less than HEETS did. You will spot the difference immediately.
It is not entirely maintenance-free, though: condensate from the vapour builds up in the heating chamber over time. Our cleaning guide shows how to get it clean in five minutes.
Which ILUMA suits whom
- IQOS ILUMA i ONE – compact all-in-one device, the cheapest way in
- IQOS ILUMA i – holder plus charger with a touchscreen, the mainstream choice
- IQOS ILUMA i PRIME – aluminium body, the top model
Prices differ from country to country – check the official iqos.com site for your market. In most of Europe only the current i generation is sold today.