In principle, I agree that the bundled batteries should enable the lights to perform according to spec.
In practice, most lay shoppers will just be happy to have a PnP package that they can immediately use, not worry about buying a separate battery, and have no idea what a lumen sphere is.
Those who do, and want full performance will insert another cell from their pool, or skip the bundle to begin with.
Adding another variable to the product mix adds to the potential headaches. But if a more complex product matrix is to be explored, I have little doubt most would vote for more emitter options, or body colors, more inelastic traits that are harder to rectify than simply substituting another cell.
For most products, bundled accessories aren’t usually held to high standards; they just have to provide funcationality. I believe most here know that those bundled cells aren’t great, but at least live up to the capacity ratings, and at a nominal cost, a couple extra quid isn’t such a bad deal to add another decent cell to the arsenal. Going to have to wait a couple weeks for it anyway, and for the small incremental cost, why not? They could be worse.
If there is to be an effort to tackle truth in flashlight marketing, particular with regard to output performance, the bundled cell is not the first place I’d send the troops.
One such fruit ripe for picking is to actually be honest about what Turbo modes are, and how they are constrained. That would benefit all, enthusiasts or not.
There should also be a performance metric for output as it relates to heat capacity, like an HPI, or Heat Performance Index.
But I wouldn’t hold my breath for any of this to occur.