Yeah, I'm just saying, you can't even buy regular protected cells and put them in, because they won't fucking fit. I do think "actual" 18650 protected cells exist, but they would be rare and expensive because you can't build them out of mass manufactured bare 18650 cells (for obvious reasons of where do you put the damn protection circuit.)
The nomenclature, as commonly used isn't precise enough.
18650 means 18x65mm, but "protected 18650" usually means that cell with electronics stuck on the end, which ends up at 68-70mm long. Nobody calls the result "18680" even though that describes it more precisely.
There isn't a common cell slightly shorter than 18650 to produce protected cells that fit in every holder designed for 18650. The AA-size (but not AA-voltage!) 14500 often does come in protected versions that are exactly 50mm long, based on 14430 cells.
Ah yea then I misunderstood. That's right you can't easily switch out the cells for protected cells yourself :(