The biggest IQOS update in years adds a screen and smarter heating — but the real story is what stays the same: it’s still a tobacco product.
Quick answer: IQOS ILUMA i is Philip Morris International’s 2025–26 flagship heated-tobacco device. It keeps the bladeless SMARTCORE induction system that heats a metal element inside the sealed TEREA stick (no blade, no residue, no cleaning) and adds a built-in touchscreen, Autostart (it heats automatically when you insert a stick), an adaptive Flex Puff mode that adjusts heating to your puffing rhythm, a Pause Mode, FlexBattery management and an aluminium base. It’s rolling out across the UK, Japan, Korea, the Middle East and Europe, with IQOS also moving back toward the US pending FDA review. It is, importantly, still heated tobacco — a nicotine product, not a safe one.
What’s actually new vs ILUMA
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Touchscreen | Built-in display shows status, battery and remaining puffs at a glance |
| Autostart | Heating begins automatically when a TEREA stick is inserted — no button press |
| Flex Puff | Senses your puffing pace and adapts the heating curve to it |
| Pause Mode | Lets you stop mid-session and resume the same stick later |
| FlexBattery | Optimises battery life based on how you use it |
| Aluminium base | Replaces plastic for a more premium finish |
The carry-over from ILUMA is the part PMI leans on hardest: the induction heating. Instead of a heating blade inserted into the tobacco (older IQOS), an electromagnetic coil heats a metal susceptor sealed inside the TEREA stick. Because nothing penetrates the tobacco and the stick is sealed at both ends, there’s no gunk and nothing to clean — a genuine usability win and a high patent barrier against rivals.
How a session works
You slot a TEREA stick into the holder; with Autostart it begins heating immediately, reaching a few hundred degrees — hot enough to release a nicotine aerosol but below the ~600–900°C where tobacco burns. A stick lasts roughly 6 minutes or 14 puffs, comparable to a cigarette, then you dispose of it (no ash). A full charge supports about 20 uses. For how heat-not-burn differs from smoking and vaping, see what is heated tobacco?
Where it’s launching — and the US question
ILUMA i has rolled out across multiple markets (UK, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, France and more), with limited-edition colours like Electric Purple. The bigger move is the US: PMI has signalled expanding IQOS ILUMA for the American market, but the timing depends on the FDA’s review of the tobacco-product applications — heated tobacco is regulated as a tobacco product, so it can’t simply launch.
What it means
For users, ILUMA i is the most polished IQOS yet — the screen and Autostart remove friction, and induction heating remains genuinely clean to live with. For the category, it signals that heated tobacco is borrowing the smart-device playbook (screens, adaptive heating, app-style features) to defend its lead as vaping and pouches compete for switchers. But the marketing-versus-health line still holds: a nicer device doesn’t change that this is a tobacco product delivering addictive nicotine — see is IQOS safer than smoking? Not for non-smokers.
FAQ
What is IQOS ILUMA i?
It’s Philip Morris’s 2025–26 flagship heated-tobacco device — a bladeless induction heater for TEREA tobacco sticks, now with a touchscreen, Autostart, adaptive Flex Puff heating, Pause Mode and FlexBattery.
What’s the difference between IQOS ILUMA and ILUMA i?
ILUMA i keeps the same SMARTCORE induction heating but adds a built-in touchscreen, automatic start on stick insertion, an adaptive heating mode, a pause/resume function and an aluminium base.
Is IQOS ILUMA i available in the US?
PMI is moving IQOS ILUMA toward the US market, but availability depends on FDA review of its tobacco-product applications.
Is IQOS ILUMA i a vape?
No — it heats real tobacco sticks (heated tobacco), not e-liquid. It’s a tobacco product.