This article is a contribution from Firstunion Group, and the content represents the views of Firstunion Group only.
September 18 – At the Inter Tabac exhibition in Germany, China Tobacco Hunan Industrial Co., Ltd. (China Tobacco Hunan IC) launched the groundbreaking HTP product: Usonic Dual, NISE. Recognized for its industry-first "Omni-directional Vortex Thermal Field" technology and AI-powered interactive capabilities, stood out among new products from multinational tobacco companies such as PMI and JTI, winning【InterTabac Alternative Awards Best HNB Product Award】. This product is the result of over three years of meticulous R&D by more than 100 cross-disciplinary experts. It combines multiple industry-leading technologies and innovative designs, aiming to provide global tobacco consumers with an unparalleled taste experience and superior functional performance.
Usonic Dual features the Omni-directional Vortex Thermal Field technology, jointly developed and patented by China Tobacco Hunan IC and Firstunion Group. This core technological breakthrough consists of two key aspects: Omni-directional Surround Heating and Tidal Adaptive Thermal Control.
Traditional heated tobacco products typically offer only a single heating method, such as outward-to-inward circumferential heating or inward-to-outward center heating. In contrast, Usonic Dual’s Omni-directional Surround Heating systematically integrates three heating methods—center, bottom, and circumferential—enabling the tobacco stick to be heated synchronously from all angles and directions. This ensures the tobacco is fully and evenly heated, delivering a richer flavor and increasing the number of puffs per stick by over 40%, achieving more than 20 effective puffs per stick and endurance can be 25 sessions. The Tidal Adaptive Temperature Control employs AI algorithms that allow Usonic Dual to perceive the user’s puffing behavior in real-time and dynamically adjust the heating curve, significantly improving energy efficiency.
Usonic Dual’s innovation extends beyond heating technology to the synergistic design of the tobacco stick and device. The new NISE tobacco stick utilizes a novel encapsulation technology that enables a plug-and-play, maintenance-free experience. Compared to mainstream solutions on the market, this design is more environmentally friendly, safer, and greatly enhances user convenience.
Thanks to these technological enhancements, Usonic Dual fundamentally resolves issues common in traditional HTP devices, such as "inconsistent taste" and material waste caused by uneven heating, offering users a purer, fuller, and more consistent ultimate flavor.
Another highlight of Usonic Dual is its AI-powered interactive experience, enhanced by DeepSeek AI. The product is equipped with a high-definition touch OLED screen and a deeply customized Seekwall Interactive System. Seekwall not only provides button-free intelligent device control but also builds a "visualized, self-managed" health management center for users, integrating features such as taste scoring and puff statistics to help users better monitor and manage their nicotine usage. The device incorporates an AI voice assistant based on the DeepSeek AI model, allowing users to ask questions and control the device via voice at any time, offering a more interactive and personalized service that strengthens the emotional connection between humans and machines—"the more you use it, the more it understands you." By connecting to a dedicated mobile app, users can access additional convenience and personalized functions.
To cater to consumers’ diverse usage scenarios and taste preferences, the product not only includes three taste modes—Mild, Standard, and Enhanced—professionally tuned by a sensory evaluation team but also pairs with multiple NISE tobacco stick flavor series, including Tobacco Flavors, Menthol Variations, and Signature Blends, offering over 20 taste options for a rich and personalized experience.
Usonic Dual’s exterior design deeply integrates functional aesthetics with user experience: the full-metal shell, paired with a gradient electroplated finish in the annual trendy color "Neo-Green," presents a "mecha-style" technological texture that aligns with young consumers’ aesthetic trends while highlighting Usonic Dual’s high-tech, innovative, and fashionable design philosophy. The innovative curved screen adopts a micro-curved surface design that seamlessly integrates with the body, ensuring a slim and lightweight form while maximizing the display area for clearer information presentation and more convenient operation. The magnetic interaction of the split structure echoes the brand logo, providing both smooth handling and anti-misoperation functionality.
Behind this near-perfect, cutting-edge product is the result of three years of collaborative efforts by over 100 cross-disciplinary experts from China Tobacco Hunan IC and Firstunion Group. This global team encompassed specialists in materials science, structural engineering, electronic systems, software development, tobacco science, industrial design, and automation. After thousands of experiments, the team ultimately overcame numerous technical challenges to achieve the capabilities of the Omni-directional Vortex Thermal Field technology.
Winning at the Inter Tabac exhibition not only certifies Usonic Dual’s technical strength but also signifies that Chinese innovation is becoming a core driving force in the global HTP development. Innovation goes beyond specifications, and experience transcends the present—the global HTP industry is expected to embark on a new development direction from here.
For more on-the-ground coverage, visit the 2Firsts InterTabac Special Section.
