Altria starts the test marketing of its proprietary heated tobacco device, SWIC, in the UK through online sales. SWIC works exclusively with KETLE Capsules and provides up to 14 sessions per charge. The device features vibration haptics as well as an informative screen for battery life and remaining capsule content. The SWIC Starter Kits retail at £14.49 and contain one device and three packs of 15-capsules (Gold, Red, Green). A pack of 15-capsules retails at £3.49 and 20-pack of 15-capsules (“best value”) retails at £59.8 (i.e. £2.99 per pack of 15-capsules). Each capsule is single use and lasts for one tobacco occasion (i.e. equivalent to one cigarette).
KETLE capsules come in three flavors: Gold, Red, Green. KETLE Gold offers balanced tobacco flavor and contains 0.5mg of nicotine per capsule. KETLE Red offers rich & robust tobacco flavor and contains 0.7mg of nicotine per capsule. KETLE Green offers a refreshing blend of tobacco with menthol and contains 0.7 mg of nicotine per capsule.
SWIC device is manufactured by Altria’s Helix Sweden affiliate. It charges fully in 60 minutes and for a single session in 5 minutes. With a full charge, SWIC delivers 10 to 14 sessions and the pre-heating time (for a capsule to be ready for consumption) is 10 seconds. A capsule lasts up to 7 minutes or ~14 puffs. Once the session ends, the capsule needs to cool down for 2 minutes before safe removal and disposal (note: this seems like a clear design pitfall; many users will burn their hands before getting used to putting a break between the end of consumption and disposal).
Altria first announced the development of the SWIC device in Spring 2023. SWIC heated tobacco device is the first of its kind to use tobacco-filled capsules instead of sticks. SWIC’s HeatGrid technology provides consistent, precise heating to deliver an aerosol that is similar to a cigarette. Altria claims that consumers find SWIC product concept appealing and unique and, after trying it, they find the device simple and easy to use versus the other heated tobacco products (e.g. IQOS). To be positioned as “the future of heated tobacco“, SWIC is an important piece in Altria’s strategy to break out of the ailing US cigarette business. For further details on the topic, refer to our Altria: Winds of Change article.
