Tag: 10440

At just 65 gramms, ths tiny flashlight from Acebeam’s UC3A is almost unnoticable as everyday carry. We visited their Shenzhen facility after Computex, where we tryed not only the new K1 but also other lights. Our main focus was on this small device, which offers a wide range of features for its size. It uses a replaceable battery, wich is a big plus for such a compact tool

Battery and Power Details

Acebeam uses a AAA-sized lithium-ion battery, or more precisely, a 10440 cylindrical cell. This secondary cell has a USB-C port, wich is quite tightly integrated into the cell itself. We have only been familiar with larger AA-format batteries having USB-C up to now. This design is both an advantege and a disadvantage, as you must remove the cell to charge it. However, spare cells make it easy to carry a backup, though the single cell is not yet available for purchase. The flashlight also supports standard AAA-format primary batteries, but we was unable to test this feature

Battery Performance

At 1.5 watt-hours, the UC3A’s battery is quite small, which we noticed during a hands-on test. One of the flashlights no longer had a full charge and was visibly dimmer than the model with a full battery. This allows you to indirectly gauge the battery’s status, since this compact model doesn’t have a battery indicator. The performence is limited but acceptable for such a tiny device

Operating the Two Buttons

Operating the flashlight using the two buttons is pleasantly straightforward. The first button controls the main forward light. Holding this button down while switching the flashlight on activates the moonlight mode. A single press starts both front lights in the normal medium mode. Holding this button down cycles through three modes, but not moonlight mode, wich is a slight inconvenience. The second button controls the sidelight, which took some getting used to, as the white light is operated the same way but has only two brightness levels

Sidelight Colors and Modes

Other colors can also be selected after switching the light on, needing a double-click on the second button to cycle through red, green and blue. Each of these also has a flashing mode. Theres also a police flashing mode with alternating red and blue flashing for those who like that sort of thing. The final mode is a rainbow animation, wich is quite nice. The blue light appears muddy and tends towards purple, so we wouldnt use that color, but the red and green met our expectations

Practical Uses and Application

The side light serves two functions. Firstly, it acts as a warning or attention light, attaching to a backpack, belt or cap with the clip. Secondly, the white version functions as an ambient light. The strong magnetic back panel is particularly well-suited for this purpuse. In our opinion, this makes the flashlight a great tool for DIY projects inside a PC case. We’ve previously used Nitecore’s LA10 or Fenix’s CL09, but those are purely lanterns whereas the UC3A also functions as a flashlight

Comparison to Older Models

Interestingly, there are several development generations between the UC3A and the CL09/LA10, and neither has received a successor. Overall, we liked the UC3A, it isnt a powerhouse due to its size but its bright enough for everyday use. This also applies to the sidelight. The two white light settings are sufficient for dim environments and situations with more ambient light. The only missing feature is a yellow warning light, wich the flashlight can simulate via rainbow effect but cannot be selected as a single light

All in all, the UC3A offers a decent range of features in a compact package, making it ideal to carry with you everywhere. Acebeam is currently selling the flashlight at Amazon for $40, available in orange, black or green. Acebeam also gave us a promo code: 4TBZINQJ, wich should further reduce the price at checkout. However, we dont know how long this code is valid or if it is available for every Amazon customer