REVIEW: Nitecore TINI2 - Display OLED, 500 Lm. USB-C

Nitecore TINI2
OSRAM P8 - RECHARGEABLE USB-C




For purchase and technical details: https://www.nitecorestore.com/NITECO...nite-tini2.htm

The Multilingual Manual: https://flashlight.nitecore.com/Uploads ... /tini2.pdf






DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL DATA:

Almost two years after the previous TINI, Nitecore presents the TINI2, an updated version that brings numerous improvements. The first thing I notice as a difference is the nice OLED display placed at the top of the TINI2. The new Nitecore keychain flashlight is rechargeable (via a modern integrated USB-C port), small and light weighing only 18.8g. TINI2 has 5 brightness levels available and uses 2 OSRAM P8 LEDs for a maximum output of 500 lumens for 2000cd. It has 2 switches and an integrated 280 mAh battery that offers an autonomy of up to 60 hours. The Nitecore TINI2 is built in aluminum alloy and is resistant to water and dust (IP54). It is ideal for everyday use and is available in two different colors; Hi-tech Black and Metallic Gray.





Main features:

• Utilizes 2 x OSRAM P8 LEDs with a max output of 500 lumens
• Max peak beam intensity of 2,000cd and max throw of 89 meters
• Utilizes a total reflective optic lens for uniform and soft light
• Multifunctional OLED real-time display for lumens, battery voltage and runtime etc.
• Built-in 280mAh Li-ion battery
• Advanced Power Cut-Off (APC) technology for an ultra-low standby power consumption
• Built-in Li-ion battery charging circuit with a USB-C port
• Highly efficient constant current circuit provides a stable output up to 60 hours
• 2 user modes available (DEMO Mode and DAILY Mode)
• Dual side switch design
• 5 brightness levels available with direct access to TURBO
• Intelligent mode memory function
• 2 lockout modes available (Half Lockout Mode and Full Lockout Mode)
• Incorporated Advanced Temperature Regulation (ATR) module (Patent No. ZL201510534543.6)
• Metal ring pull able to withstand up to 30 kilograms of weight
• HA III hard-anodized finish
• Impact resistant to 1 meter

Size and weight:
Size: 46.6mm×25mm×12.5mm (1.83” ×0.98” ×0.49”)

Weight: 18.8g (0.66oz)


Accessories:
Key Clasp


Note: The stated data is measured in accordance with the international flashlight testing standards ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2019, using the built-in Li-ion battery (280mAh) under laboratory conditions. The data may vary in real world use due to different battery usage or environmental conditions.
* The runtime of TURBO is tested without the temperature regulation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The package with which the new TINI2 arrives is the classic cardboard box with the two black-yellow colors. Inside the package we find, in addition to the Nitecore TINI2 also a Key Clasp, manual and warranty.






The Nitecore TINI2 is very beautiful. Nitecore has managed, through excellent construction and a well-designed design, to insert in a small space a well-readable OLED display, 2 light emitters (LEDs), 2 electronic switches and a USB-C charging port.







The new optical system of the TINI2, 32% more powerful than the previous one, uses 2 OSRAM P8 LEDs and total reflection optics for a soft and uniform beam. TINI2 has a maximum output of 500 lumens for a maximum beam depth of 89 meters.







The main novelty of the new Nitecore TINI2 is the multifunction OLED display, well readable, which shows us some data in real time such as lumens, battery voltage, runtime etc.



With the torch Off, by pressing the “MODE” key, the display shows for a few seconds the level and user mode set and the current voltage with the battery drawing.

With the flashlight On, the screen will show the various information in sequence: brightness level, lumens and user mode (Demo or Daily) and then the time remaining before the battery runs out. To reactivate the display just press the “MODE” button.







Under the OLED display there are the two electronic switches with which we will manage the TINI2. The two switches are not protruding, but are placed in a recess I think for greater protection against accidental activations. No problem finding the two switches in the dark. As can be seen from the symbols above these, one has an ON / OFF function (Power Switch) and with the other we will vary the 4 levels available beyond the momentary Turbo (Mode Switch).

The switches are activated with little pressure on them. Nitecore TINI2 has two electronic locking modes that ensure safe portability.







Compared to the previous model, Nitecore TINI2 uses a new generation USB-C format port protected by a rubber cap (which provides excellent adherence and protection to the USB-C socket) for integrated charging. The internal lithium battery remains a 280mAh with a maximum autonomy of 60 hours. We don't find any USB-C cables in the scope of delivery, but I don't think it's a problem to get them nowadays. Nitecore TINI2 has an intelligent charging circuit with multiple protections such as over-discharging, over-charging, short-circuiting, It also automatically ends charging once it is complete.

The Nitecore TINI2 can be recharged in approximately one hour and 45 minutes. It can work, and therefore be used, while charging or remain always on using a USB device such as a power bank.

When charging is in use, the blue key indicator may flash slowly to notify you and the display will show the current battery level. At the end of recharging, the blue light stays on constantly and the display will indicate full charge.
When fully charged, the Nitecore Tini2 can theoretically be unused for about a year having a low stand-by current.








In the back of the Nitecore TINI2 there is a small metal ring in very resistant steel (up to 30kg in weight) and protruding that offers the possibility of hooking it into a keychain or other surfaces using the supplied Key Clasp.







Nitecore TINI2 next to the previous TINI.The dimensions are similar despite the numerous updates of the new TINI2.




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


USER INTERFACE (UI):




Nitecore TINI2
has 5 brightness levels available with direct access to TURBO and ULTRALOW, it also has 2 user modes, DEMO Mode and DAILY Mode.

In DEMO mode
(default) the light turns off automatically, within 30 seconds, if there is no operation. The countdown will be indicated on the multifunction display.
In DAILY mode
the flashlight will remain on until the user turns it off manually. The "TURBO" level is only momentary by holding down the "MODE" button.

ULTRALOW -
1 lumen - 60h

LOW -
15 lumens - 8h

MID -
65 lumens - 2h 30min

HIGH -
200 lumens - 45min.

TURBO -
500 lumens - * 15 min.


Note:
TURBO runtime is calculated without temperature regulation (ATR).

User Modes

With the flashlight both on and off, press the POWER and MODE buttons simultaneously to switch between the DEMO and DAILY modes. The LED will flash to indicate the currently selected mode: 1 flash indicates DEMO mode, two flashes indicate DAILY mode. (During this operation, the display will show the "DEMO" or "DAILY" mode to inform the user.)
Note: By being in DEMO mode and reactivating the flashlight within 3 seconds after turning it off, you will have temporary access to DAILY mode until you turn off the flashlight again.

Power On and Off

Power on: with the flashlight off, quickly press the POWER button to turn it on.
Turn off: with the flashlight on, quickly press the POWER button to turn it off.

Levels of Brightness

With the flashlight and display on, quickly press the MODE button to scroll through the various brightness levels: “ULTRALOW - LOW - MID - HIGH”. When switched on, the flashlight will propose to the user the last light selection set before switching off.
Note: With the display off, quickly press the MODE button to turn it on and then you can select the brightness level.

Direct access to the ULTRALOW level

With the flashlight off, press and hold the POWER button to access the ULTRALOW level.

Direct access to the TURBO level

With the torch both off and on, press and hold the MODE button to access the TURBO level; release the button to switch off or to return to the previous light level set.

Lock and Unlock

The TINI2 has two different locking modes (Half Lockout Mode and Full Lockout Mode).
Half Lockout Mode (Lock 1):
• With the flashlight on, press and hold the POWER button until the display shows the Lock 1 icon to access Half Lockout Mode.
• In Lockout Mode 1, Half Lockout Mode, the POWER button will not be usable to turn on the flashlight. You can only press and hold the MODE button to access TURBO mode.
Full Lockout Mode (Lock 2):
• With the flashlight on, press and hold the POWER button indefinitely until the button first shows the Lock 1 icon and then the Lock 2 icon to access Full Lockout Mode.
• In Lock mode 2 The MODE and POWER buttons cannot be used to turn on the flashlight.
Unlock: In any lock mode you are in, quickly press the POWER button, release it and press it again while holding it down.
The display will show the unlock icon and a progress bar that shows the operation in progress. The flashlight will turn on again proposing to the user the last brightness level used and previously stored.








BEAM and RUNTIME:


The beam
of the Nitecore TINI2 has a white (CW) tint that is not too cold and no particular artifact or dominant. I didn't notice PWM in the various brightness levels. The distance from the start of the spill to the feet is about 20 cm.
The "HIGH" level of 200 lumens allows a good view during the walk.








Nitecore TINI2 Unboxing and Instructions for Use

https://www.youtube.com/embed/V4KjIAFTexY?wmode=opaque



RUNTIME:

The test was carried out with the fully charged Nitecore TINI2 with an ambient temperature of about 21° C and without forced ventilation. Nitecore TINI2 features the ATR (Advanced Temperature Regulation) module, which adjusts its output power by adapting to the surrounding environment, maintaining optimal performance. Good durability in HIGH and TURBO of the TINI2 which reflect the values declared by the manufacturer.







As we can see from the graph below, I did some tests on and off with the TINI2 in turbo mode for about 10 minutes. At the end of the test, the TINI2 display showed 3.76V.






CONCLUSIONS:

I really liked the new Nitecore TINI2. Improved compared to the previous version, in many aspects, it retains the minute dimensions that are perfectly suited to the use of a keychain flashlight or an everyday flashlight, an EDC to always keep in your pocket for any quick eventuality.

The TINI2 is light (19 grams) and, like the TIP SE, now adopts two OSRAM P8 LEDs. It has a maximum light output of 500 lumens and an IP54 certified water resistance (protected from dust and splashes of water).

The OLED display the new TINI2 is equipped with is really well done and legible. Excellent operation and simple user interface complete with 5 levels and 2 modes of use managed by two switches.

The charging port has also been improved, now in USB-C format.

In conclusion, a light and complete product perfect for many uses and activities (household, reading, camping etc).
Thank you for reading the review.




------ MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI5..._as=subscriber ---------

Looks pretty good, and I like lockout mode 2.

(Lockout mode 1 doesn't appeal to me in the least, and isn't much of a lockout mode.)

I just got one today and I love it :slight_smile:

Everyone in my family is amazed by light output and the fact is has display for something that small :slight_smile:

Thanks for the review. Such a cool neat tiny light. I would get a few at a discount or group buy. But at close to $50 after tax and shipping…. no thanks

One of the things I hated about the TUP (besides the LED not being centered) was its size. This keeps the great UI and info screen and puts it into TINI size. Based on how many times my original TINI would turn on in my pocket, the lockout 2 will be mandatory when using this on a keychain.

My only concern is how badly the screen will get scratched up as this hangs on a keychain. My old TINI and now its replacement, a Fenix E03R have their anodizing highly damaged. The plastic screen certainly won’t hold up better… will it?

Fin17 of BGood just had a “flash sale for $30”:Archive topic - Banggood & Fin17 - #2073 by Fin17 + shipping. Seems to be over as it is now$40 +S&H

There are 2 coupons active now:
BG1128 : 31.96 USD
BGTINI2 : 31.99 USD

Nice review. I like the 1 minute turbo without stepping down.

Do you happen to own a tip SE for size comparison?

As an alternative to BG, Andrew Amanda has the Tini 2 for $32 shipped after applying coupon “aa4newarrivals”. No need to wait 4 weeks for shipping

Darn missed the flash sale. But thanks for the coupon, almost just as good. I may try one at this price.

Yes, I can put you a picture of the TINI2 with the SE nearby. TINI2 much shorter.

I bought it on Ali several days ago for $28, no codes or special promo.

Great price.

That pic: I have the SE but now I gotta have the Tini too….yeah BLF!

I got my TINI2.
First impressions:

  • wow, it’s bright
  • it barely heats up at turbo which makes me think that the thermal path is quite bad
  • it’s quite throwy
  • it came fully charged which is very unhealthy for the cell
  • what is the self discharge? The manual says that I should recharge it every quarter of keeping it in storage. Sounds very bad. And may explain why they fully charged it in the factory.
  • seems significantly thicker than TINI1. I guess that’s because of Type C. I think it’s a worthwhile compromise.
  • the back side with all those writings is ugly
  • TINI1 UI was terrible and made me hate that light. TINI2 is a big step in the right direction but there are still many things that I dislike
    • it is a bit complex for my liking. It’s funny because Andruil (even streamlined) is even more complex but I don’t dislike it. It may be because I view TINI2 interface as one-time gimmick and I viewed Andruil as something to last (though there’s Andruil2 now…).
    • instead of auto-lock it has auto-unlock :person_facepalming:
    • direct access to turbo from lockout1? Useless. And harmful because there’s a risk of accidental blinding. Direct access to moon like in Andruil would be great.
    • lockout2 takes 3 seconds. Quite long but may be OK. lockout1 is faster. I find lockout 1 less useful but being faster matters a lot for EDC so I will try using this one at first.
    • unlocking takes about 2 seconds. I think it’s OK.
    • I don’t like mode memory. I find a configurable default mode much better.
    • display is cute but I hate how they waste my time on showing a brand rather than something useful. That’s very disrespectful and I think I will be looking at the displayed information much less than I could because of this.
    • no battery check when the light is on?
    • unless I look at the display, there’s no visual indication that the light is locked. After I stop using the light I’d rather continue with my stuff rather than dumbly stare at the display.
  • I wonder whether LED swap would be possible. I’d love something warm and high CRI in it.
  • No blockers, it will surely become my next EDC. I’ll see if it will last there for long.

If TINI3 improves as much as TINI2 did it will be a very good light.

Being throwy and a nonsense screen are killers for me. Pity. The Imalent LD10 did the display thing right at least.

I wasn’t clear enough. I don’t consider it to be too throwy for close-up use. The display shows some useful stuff like the current level and remaining runtime at that level. It does it only after mode change, otherwise the screen is blank. But it adds that annoying logo in between.

BG for <$33

But you were. Mostly.

Got it. I don’t want my lights to annoy me. I want to see information when it should be available, not waiting for it to watch a Nitecore ad.

If I was using lockout on keychain lights, I’d even be annoyed by press & hold for seconds. A useful lockout procedure is multiple clicks. Something you can do in less than a second, and something that doesn’t unlock the light just because something is constantly pressing the button in my pocket.

Don’t know if the throw would bother me. The 2017 TIP CRI is just right in this regard.

I got one for Christmas and enjoy it. I like the 2 button interface and yes the oled screen.

Looks like Andrew and Amanda has it for $39.95 less 20% new arrival coupon. Good price from US source. I got an Eagtac from them a while back and light and service were great.

Impressions after 9 days and nights of EDC:

  • unlocking delay is far too long. I find myself using the light less than I would any other of my EDCs.
  • locking takes long as well, especially that I normally do it without looking. So I need to compensate by pressing the button longer than necessary. I never know if I’m in lockout 1 or 2 but accidental turbo hasn’t happened to me yet. Overall lockout is something that seems passable but should be improved.

Overall I’ll continue using it for now, though I don’t expect it will stay with me for very long as the turn-on delay is a serious problem.