FourSevens Updated vs. Classic Preon P2

I was very saddened when FourSevens discontinued the classic Preons for an updated line. The updates were mostly cosmetic and then updating the technology in them. I'd say the updated technology was necessary, but the cosmetic changes were not. The classic came out a pretty long while ago, so the emitter was definitely out of date. After trying out both the classic and updated Preon P2, I'd have to say I still love the classic a whole lot more.

The most obvious change to the Preon line was the design. The updated one now has grooves all over the body opposed to the smooth and sleek look of the classic. I thought I'd hate that at first, but honestly the grooves are not as noticeable as I thought they'd be. I still do prefer the sleek look of the classic over the grooves of the updated one. I also prefer the classic line as they come in a lot more colors. The updated Preon only comes in two colors, black and blue. The classic comes in tons of vibrant colors, like this sweet green as well as blue, yellow, red. etc. When it comes to design, the classic Preon wins for sure.

Price wise, the updated Preon runs for $50, while you can find the classic for about $35. I don't think the updated one is worth the $50. It's nothing special. The classic Preon also wins when it comes to price.

One thing that the updated Preon did worse was the button. The button on the classic was totally fine, so I'm not sure why FourSevens changed it. I heard a ton of people say the classic button was too easy to turn on, but I've never had that issue with mine. Granted I don't carry mine in the pocket at all. Still, the button is quite firm and takes a decent amount of pressure to activate. I'd also have to say the classic wins when it comes to the button.

The updated Preon easily wins when it comes to the specs. That should be the case though, since it has a better emitter and updated technology. I will say one thing that the updated one sucks at is the configuration levels. It may seem cool that you can change what modes you can access, but it's not something I really need in an EDC light. It's a pain in the butt to even change the configuration levels. Anyways back to the specs, the max output for the updated one is 220 lumens, while the classic can only put out about 160 lumens. Honestly though, I can't tell a noticeable difference between the outputs. I'm not a lumen whore, and I've realized a high number of lumens doesn't always mean that much. I prefer a good design to a high number of lumens. Battery life isn't that big of a deal to me either, so I have no idea which one has better runtime. Basically, if you want the most up-to-date light, go with the updated Preon.

The clips are obviously different. I didn't necessarily mind the clip on the classic, but I definitely prefer the look of the updated one. They both function the same, so it really comes down to which looks better.

All in all, I'd pick the classic over the updated one mostly because of the design. Nothing can beat the sleek design of the classic. Spec and clip wise, the updated Preon is better, but the classic wins in every other category. I definitely recommend you pick up a classic Preon over the updated ones. Thanks for looking!