[Review+Teardown] Nitecore TIP SE (lipo, 2xP8, dual indicating switch, USB-C)

Other Types of Lights Keychain / Pocket Flashlights
1

This is my first:

  • Experience with the Osram P8

  • Keychain light with proper USB-C charging

  • Runtime graph with estimated lumens

The light itself has the usual two-button Nitecore UI that I love - I've come to realize that battery check is essential to me on lights with small cells like this, and having both shortcuts and momentary access to the lowest and highest modes is great. I think I prefer the body and switch location the TIP2 used, but I'm sure Nitecore will continue to build out their T series over time.

Here's a few snapshots

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Size comparison:

Beam comparison:

Runtime

Charging

Teardown

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2

Thanks for the review!!

Well,it is nice that:

But unfortunate that:

It would be nice to have a USB-C to USB-C cable :innocent:

Also, I find it funny that the Leds are rectangular, like the Osram White Flat 2, but with dome!

This said, it is nice that there’s:

:+1:

3

Thanks for reading! I agree with all your points, but Zeroair noted that his came with a cable, as do many package deals on Amazon, so YMMV there.

4

1 step forward with USB-C

10 steps back with LED choice and (still) no lockout

I guess they just do whatever they want

5

What are you comparing to? The last keychain light of theirs I tried was the TIP2 with XP-G3. I prefer the P8 to that, but the P8 is also much harder to find a suitable replacement for - but I don’t think a large portion of customers will mess with that anyways.

6

Not so much the LED choice as it is the lack of even 1 other option.

I think Lumintop put their Tool Osram versions on same PCB. In any case I modded them no problem. Even if they made a special 3030 board the pads look far enough apart in datasheet to fit I’d bet. Ymmv

7

That’s par for the course for Nitecore, but good to know that I might be able to futz something better into place.

8

Thanks for the review and the teardown, mine took the long way here but I finally got it. The Osram were ok but not my preference, was able to swap in some others. No issue with pad spacing, works fine so far.
Glad to see they continue to use the same brass buttons. I file mine way down to make it a little harder to activate.
Anyway, thanks for tearing yours apart so I knew what I was getting in to!
(always worth clicking the link for the full review)

9

Thanks, glad it helped someone out!