That size puts it at about 3mm shorter and 1mm narrower than an S-mini; that's pretty darn small.
I don't have a problem with how hard it is driven, lights this size will be pure flood anyway, you aren't going to use them to spot rabbits 70 yards away.
Pricing is pretty steep though, at least in relationship to the S-mini which I would think is it's closest competitor.
Curious if full 'clicks' change modes, how do you turn it off? Long press for a second or more?
It's reverse clicky so click is off. At about $59 CAD / $56 USD it is more than the S-Mini but the latter isn't available in neutral or warm.
I can guarantee the quality is much higher than the S-mini! A few higher end features include: a driver with hidden modes, premium U2 emitter vs T6, AR lens, vs normal lens, Stainless Steel bezel, stainless steel tail cap end, and a 3 year warranty vs 1 year.
Dude...then why you preaching to the flashaholics? lol
Go to the broad market. ;)
Let me know where to effectively advertise to the broad market and I will. I've not found such a place other than maybe... eBay and Amazon (~15% fees).
Not all flashaholics only buy pocket rockets with short runtime. Heck look at the success of the malkoff drop-ins, especially the low output versions. Flasaholics definitely still buy those. I guess this forum seems to be more about Lumens/$ rather than buying a quality light with moderate output. :p
at this price there could be a thermally regulated higher output mode (for example 500 lumens for 5 mins) or at least timer based "turbo" mode like spark does it
LOL
:p
I'll be getting one for sure
As soon as the price comes down a little.
The official answer is that the E03 was designed for bursts pulling 1.5A... which gives you tiny runtime at max. The S3A is designed for longer runtime on it's max mode (1A), and accounting for the thermal properties of this design.
Having said that, this light has it's quirks (see: https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/8689)
I firmly believe it's a good buy for those that want a warm/neutral in this form factor with long runtime (and price!). As a cool white, there may be better options out there. Buy it and prove us wrong :)
According to the diagram in an above post, a single-click advances to the next mode, thus the reason for my question. And yes, the S-mini is available in a very neutral (almost warm) tint in the XM-L
The UI switch is no different than most. That is, a deep click will turn on/off and a soft click will change modes.
For the S-Mini, in such case, it comes down to style (if any) and build quality. Based just on the threads, dual plated springs, etc. the Xeno comes out much ahead. Does it come out a dozen dollars worth ahead? Well, that's a personal choice :)
A buddy of mine did just that but was arrested for solicitation. 
The E03 was actually never designed to run off 14500's. I've been carrying Xeno long before they released the E03. Xeno originally stated the driver had a 1.2-3.7v input range. I then informed them that 14500's fully charged were 4.2v, and told them the current was upwards of 1.5A on high. So 14500 LiCo/IMR cells basically direct drive the light. So many people bought them for the pocket rocket nature of the light, that Xeno started advertising that 14500's were ok in short bursts, and they increased the lumen claim to 430.
Honestly though having just 25-30% less lumens, but 4+ times the runtime and a pocket clip in a package about the same size as the E03 (just a little longer) I think is well worth it!
I agree it would be a cool feature, but that would require a completely new driver design and more money. Then there would be the crowd complaining about "thermal regulation." :P