Photos thought to be of the upcoming heated-tobacco device from cigarette maker KT&G have been leaked, a local news outlet reported Monday.

Consisting of a pocket charger and a tobacco stick holder, the device is similar to the IQOS device released by Marlboro maker Philip Morris this month in Korea, according to Electronics Times.

With both Philip Morris and British American Tobacco holding extensive patents on the methods for heating tobacco sticks inside their respective devices, industry watchers are eager to find out how KT&G’s device, rumored to be launched in September, will operate.

It is not yet confirmed how the heat-not-burn cigarette device from KT&G will heat the cigarette sticks inside the device. IQOS heats the cigarettes using a blade system, which uses a blade in the center of the device to heat the tobacco from the inside out.

Glo, a heat-not-burn device from BAT that is expected to launch here in August, uses an outside-in method by heating around the tobacco sticks.

A spokesperson for KT&G declined to confirm whether the device in the leaked photos was one being developed by the company. “It is difficult to comment on new products under development.” 

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)