ThL W100 - a small but powerful smartphone
Before some, the question arises regarding a cell phone: which smartphone to choose according to the optimal ratio of price and quality. Many, when answering this question, try to study the characteristics of devices, their results in tests and other parameters. But a small number of people pay attention to the devices released by Chinese brands.
And in vain! One of these solutions is the THL W100 - a smartphone, which is one of the low-cost and high-quality devices. While the mobile giants are competing in the display diagonals, ThL has released a model with a screen of “only” 4.5 inches. The device has a rather nice design and belongs to the class of budget 4-core smartphones. It is about this model that will be discussed in the review.
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The smartphone uses a four-core Mediatek MT6589 processor, made on the 28-nm process technology, flavored with 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.2.1. For a smartphone of the price category to which the ThL W100 belongs, the stuffing is quite high. The model has two cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G and GPS - in general, everything you need for happiness.
Screen: 4.5 ", 960x540 px, qHD, IPS
Processor: MTK6589M (Cortex A7, 1.2 GHz, 4 cores)
Video accelerator: PowerVR SGX 544
Operating system: Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean)
RAM: 1 GB
User Memory: 4 GB + MicroSD slot with card support up to 32 GB
Camera: front - 8 megapixel, rear - 12.6 megapixel
Connectivity: 2 SIM cards (GSM / GPRS / EDGE + UMTS)
Optional: GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor and distance
Battery: 1800 mAh
Dimensions: 133.9 × 68.4 × 10.3 mm
Weight: 135 Grams
The device comes in a standard carton. It shows a photograph of the model in white and some features.
Moreover, the box is dense, you do not have to worry that the device will suffer during the transfer. And from the inside it is glued with foam rubber, which gives even more confidence.
On the back of the package are the characteristics of the smartphone.
The device lies with the screen up in the bag, already with the shipping film.
The package includes: a smartphone, two batteries, a power supply with a USB output (5V 0.5A), a micro USB cable, a headset, a brief user manual, a warranty card, a sticker, a film. As you can see - the set is traditional and quite sufficient for most users.
In short, the usual starter kit. Can not but rejoice the extra battery. And in the new supply still put a flip case.
Due to the aspect ratio of the screen, the smartphone has a slightly elongated body shape. Overall dimensions and weight are well matched, the device fits well in your hand if it is larger than your average size. The shape of the smartphone does not differ originality, but still looks strictly and universally, without a hint of "glossy plastic soap dish."
On the front of the front panel there are light and proximity sensors, a front camera and a speaker, covered with a thin metal mesh. The interlocutor is heard clearly and legibly, mainly dominated by medium and high frequencies, extraneous noises and echoes are absent. There is a light indicator of events. Only, unfortunately, he has one color - red. Sometimes it works incorrectly.
"Back", "Home" and "Menu" are under the screen. Touch buttons, there is a white backlight, high sensitivity. Just below is a microphone.
I liked the thickness - not to say that the smartphone is thin, but it is a convenient solution, it will be difficult to drop the device out of hand. A standard 3.5 mm audio jack with a microUSB and power button shared the upper end.
On the left side modestly located volume rocker. There are no keys on the right.
The material of the back cover is plastic. A part of the frame between the screen and the silver inset, which follows the contour of the device, is made from it. Fingerprints on the case are not noticeable, thanks to the white and pretty color of the device. On the back side there is a small flash and a camera module, bordered with a metal ring.
Below are the manufacturer's slogan and speaker hole. The volume of the external speaker on the built-in ring tones is at an average level. In this case, the sound picture essentially depends on the placement of the device. If it is a speaker up, then it is heard much better.
To open the case, you need to pry the cover on the bottom right. Above the battery there are two connectors for installing SIM cards: SIM1 (2G / 3G) - on the left, SIM2 (only 2G) - on the right. In the middle - the microSD connector. To replace the SIM card, you will need to remove the battery. But the memory card can be installed and so.
In general, the device produces a good impression for a budget device. The materials were chosen successfully, the design is traditionally universal, the combination of size and weight is correct, there are no comments on the quality of the workmanship.
ThL W100 has got a quite popular screen diagonal of 4.5 inches with a typical resolution of 540x960 pixels today. Of course, it uses a rather high-quality IPS-matrix. The density is 240 pixels per inch.
The touch layer is made by capacitive technology, the sensitivity is excellent. Supports "multitouch" up to 5 simultaneous touches.
Maximum viewing angles. The color rendition is natural, it can be clearly seen on the street. The display fades slightly in the sun.
High brightness, automatic brightness adjustment does not always work adequately, but is tolerable. At night, the smartphone tries not to lower it much, which is why the eyes get tired and are not very comfortable to use. And the extra battery consumption. And quite a good screen option.
The smartphone has two cameras - a front one with 5 MP and a rear one with 8 MP, at least the manufacturer says so. In the Antutu screenshot, you can see the values of 8 MP and 12 MP for the front and rear cameras, respectively. In the settings you can also use a resolution of 12 MP. It can be concluded that in this case software interpolation is used for both cameras. But I was pleased with the front camera. In Skype now you can easily show yourself in all its glory.
The camera is of decent quality. The pictures are quite “noisy”, this is noticeable when the photo is enlarged, but generally pleasant. There are no problems with shooting texts and documents, it is convenient to take pictures.
At the heart of ThL W100 is Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean. A stock JB is selected as an interface with a small amount of changes from ThL. In the notification menu are various switches. Holding the home key brings up a list of recently opened applications. The company has pre-installed its useful applications: Flash Player, Flashlight, Task Manager, Note Book, File Manager, APK installer, Task, Backup. Most of them can be safely removed from the standard Android application management menu. This will free up some memory in the device.
The creators of the firmware were not too lazy and slightly changed the interface. The icons are now colored, it looks pretty nice, and the status bar conveniently implemented the management of the main modules of the smartphone. And it differs from stock Android'a. So, for example, to turn off Wi-Fi you need to tap on the icon and not hold (as it is implemented in version 4.3)
Do not go unheeded and lock screen. It allows you to get quick access to the camera, messages or phone. And of course you can unlock the smartphone. Change applications for their own, alas, is impossible.
The organization of management of SIM-cards is implemented by the same method as that of other models on MTK processors. In the settings there is a separate menu called “SIM Management”, where the user selects which SIM to use for. Since the priority of SIM-cards can not be changed, work only in the 3G network that is installed in the first slot. Regardless of whether the data transmission is working or not, two SIMs are available for communication, but if the call arrives on the second card (SIM slot 2), Internet access will be suspended. If the call is received on the first one (SIM 1, 3G), you can simultaneously talk and surf. You can also link a call to a particular SIM card.
The flash can be used as a flashlight, for this there is a separate utility. The file manager allows you to install applications if there is no access to the Internet. Well, the compass will help you navigate the terrain.
In the interface of this model, a user previously familiar with Chinese smartphones will not discover anything new. Except maybe a modified lock screen. Otherwise, everything remains unchanged - no proprietary interfaces, but there are a number of pre-installed applications that will be useful to many. I liked that there are no Chinese programs that can not be removed without the help of Root-rights.
The phone works in 2G cellular networks (GSM / GPRS / EDGE, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and 3G (900/2100 MHz). In this case, one SIM card functions only in 2G, the other in 2G or 3G. Internet access speeds are normal for this type of network - up to several megabits per second for reception and several hundred kilobytes per second for transmission.
The platform supports Bluetooth version 4.0 (EDR / A2DP) for file and speech transfer. There is a wireless connection Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b / g / n. The device, of course, can be used as an access point (Wi-Fi Hotspot) or modem. There were no problems with the connection, the Wi-Fi sensitivity is high: for example, at a distance of 7 meters (behind the wall) from the ThL W100 router, it confidently showed 3 divisions out of 4.
The smartphone is equipped with a GPS receiver with support for A-GPS. In operation, the navigation service showed itself well - the satellites were caught quickly, the positioning accuracy is good, the receiver sensitivity is normal.
ThL tried to do the work of the modules without any complaints.
ThL W100 has an MTK6589 processor, and also includes four Cortex-A7 processor cores with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz, a PowerVR SGX544 graphics core and 1 GB of RAM. ROM capacity is 4 GB, of which 1.9 GB is available.
In performance tests, the ThL W100 showed expectedly good results. They are certainly not flagship by the standards of 2013, but they correspond to what we saw last year in the LG Optimus 4X HD and HTC One X. In AnTuTu, the smartphone scored 13527 points, in Quadrant - 4011 points. PassMark test gave 2084 points.
The smartphone allows you to play modern shooters and races, there are no incompatibility problems with the device in the Play Store.
Power, of course, enough for medium-gravity games.
In the arcade toy, everything is very beautiful and smooth.
In general, ThL W100 is a convenient and fast device, in addition to dynamic games like Real Racing or GTA Vice City, its stuffing works well with video playback, surfing and simple everyday tasks.
The result in Antutu Tester was about 413 points. So a day or two of the active work of the smartphone is quite capable of withstanding.
With a moderate load, telephone conversations, using GPS to navigate and view traffic jams, photographing and shooting video, a smartphone can last more than a day. If you continuously view the video in HD quality via Youtube, the battery will be discharged after 5-6 hours.
The ridge of the company ThL W100 is a smartphone balanced by price and performance. Of course, you can scold on the display that it is not HD, but qHD. But it seems to me that users have not lost much, because the screen still provides a high-quality picture, and the performance from this is higher. All that remains is to add that today ThL W100 is one of the best deals on the market for those who don’t chase after brand and design.
Good stuffing
High-quality assembly
Dual SIM support
High-quality front camera
Bright IPS display
There are no Chinese applications
Low price
Unnecessary led
Auto brightness does not work correctly
1. Go to the website http://www.aliexpress.com/ .
2. Register or log in.
3. Go to the product page.
4. Select a color and click on the Buy Now button.
5. In the field Leave a message for this seller write boxoverview .
6. Then click the Place Order button. And close the page on the Check out tab. You do not need to pay anything at this stage!
7. Wait for the seller to lower your price to $ 149. The notification will come to the e-mail.
8. Pay for the goods. After sending the parcel and write the track number for tracking.
Good luck with your purchases! image
ThL Official Website
Discussion thread on w3bsit3-dns.com
Firmware, Root-rights, Recovery
If you do not have an account on Habrahabr, you can read and comment on our articles on BoxOverview.com
And in vain! One of these solutions is the THL W100 - a smartphone, which is one of the low-cost and high-quality devices. While the mobile giants are competing in the display diagonals, ThL has released a model with a screen of “only” 4.5 inches. The device has a rather nice design and belongs to the class of budget 4-core smartphones. It is about this model that will be discussed in the review.
')
▌ TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The smartphone uses a four-core Mediatek MT6589 processor, made on the 28-nm process technology, flavored with 1 GB of RAM and Android 4.2.1. For a smartphone of the price category to which the ThL W100 belongs, the stuffing is quite high. The model has two cameras, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 3G and GPS - in general, everything you need for happiness.
Screen: 4.5 ", 960x540 px, qHD, IPS Processor: MTK6589M (Cortex A7, 1.2 GHz, 4 cores) Video accelerator: PowerVR SGX 544 Operating system: Android 4.2.1 (Jelly Bean) RAM: 1 GB User Memory: 4 GB + MicroSD slot with card support up to 32 GB Camera: front - 8 megapixel, rear - 12.6 megapixel Connectivity: 2 SIM cards (GSM / GPRS / EDGE + UMTS) Optional: GPS, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor and distance Battery: 1800 mAh Dimensions: 133.9 × 68.4 × 10.3 mm Weight: 135 Grams▌ PACKING
The device comes in a standard carton. It shows a photograph of the model in white and some features.
Moreover, the box is dense, you do not have to worry that the device will suffer during the transfer. And from the inside it is glued with foam rubber, which gives even more confidence.
On the back of the package are the characteristics of the smartphone.
The device lies with the screen up in the bag, already with the shipping film.
The package includes: a smartphone, two batteries, a power supply with a USB output (5V 0.5A), a micro USB cable, a headset, a brief user manual, a warranty card, a sticker, a film. As you can see - the set is traditional and quite sufficient for most users.
In short, the usual starter kit. Can not but rejoice the extra battery. And in the new supply still put a flip case.
▌ DESIGN, DIMENSIONS, CONTROL ELEMENTS
Due to the aspect ratio of the screen, the smartphone has a slightly elongated body shape. Overall dimensions and weight are well matched, the device fits well in your hand if it is larger than your average size. The shape of the smartphone does not differ originality, but still looks strictly and universally, without a hint of "glossy plastic soap dish."
On the front of the front panel there are light and proximity sensors, a front camera and a speaker, covered with a thin metal mesh. The interlocutor is heard clearly and legibly, mainly dominated by medium and high frequencies, extraneous noises and echoes are absent. There is a light indicator of events. Only, unfortunately, he has one color - red. Sometimes it works incorrectly.
"Back", "Home" and "Menu" are under the screen. Touch buttons, there is a white backlight, high sensitivity. Just below is a microphone.
I liked the thickness - not to say that the smartphone is thin, but it is a convenient solution, it will be difficult to drop the device out of hand. A standard 3.5 mm audio jack with a microUSB and power button shared the upper end.
On the left side modestly located volume rocker. There are no keys on the right.
The material of the back cover is plastic. A part of the frame between the screen and the silver inset, which follows the contour of the device, is made from it. Fingerprints on the case are not noticeable, thanks to the white and pretty color of the device. On the back side there is a small flash and a camera module, bordered with a metal ring.
Below are the manufacturer's slogan and speaker hole. The volume of the external speaker on the built-in ring tones is at an average level. In this case, the sound picture essentially depends on the placement of the device. If it is a speaker up, then it is heard much better.
To open the case, you need to pry the cover on the bottom right. Above the battery there are two connectors for installing SIM cards: SIM1 (2G / 3G) - on the left, SIM2 (only 2G) - on the right. In the middle - the microSD connector. To replace the SIM card, you will need to remove the battery. But the memory card can be installed and so.
In general, the device produces a good impression for a budget device. The materials were chosen successfully, the design is traditionally universal, the combination of size and weight is correct, there are no comments on the quality of the workmanship.
▌ DISPLAY
ThL W100 has got a quite popular screen diagonal of 4.5 inches with a typical resolution of 540x960 pixels today. Of course, it uses a rather high-quality IPS-matrix. The density is 240 pixels per inch.
The touch layer is made by capacitive technology, the sensitivity is excellent. Supports "multitouch" up to 5 simultaneous touches.
Maximum viewing angles. The color rendition is natural, it can be clearly seen on the street. The display fades slightly in the sun.
High brightness, automatic brightness adjustment does not always work adequately, but is tolerable. At night, the smartphone tries not to lower it much, which is why the eyes get tired and are not very comfortable to use. And the extra battery consumption. And quite a good screen option.
▌ CAMERAS
The smartphone has two cameras - a front one with 5 MP and a rear one with 8 MP, at least the manufacturer says so. In the Antutu screenshot, you can see the values of 8 MP and 12 MP for the front and rear cameras, respectively. In the settings you can also use a resolution of 12 MP. It can be concluded that in this case software interpolation is used for both cameras. But I was pleased with the front camera. In Skype now you can easily show yourself in all its glory.
The camera is of decent quality. The pictures are quite “noisy”, this is noticeable when the photo is enlarged, but generally pleasant. There are no problems with shooting texts and documents, it is convenient to take pictures.
▌ SOFTWARE PLATFORM
At the heart of ThL W100 is Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean. A stock JB is selected as an interface with a small amount of changes from ThL. In the notification menu are various switches. Holding the home key brings up a list of recently opened applications. The company has pre-installed its useful applications: Flash Player, Flashlight, Task Manager, Note Book, File Manager, APK installer, Task, Backup. Most of them can be safely removed from the standard Android application management menu. This will free up some memory in the device.
The creators of the firmware were not too lazy and slightly changed the interface. The icons are now colored, it looks pretty nice, and the status bar conveniently implemented the management of the main modules of the smartphone. And it differs from stock Android'a. So, for example, to turn off Wi-Fi you need to tap on the icon and not hold (as it is implemented in version 4.3)
Do not go unheeded and lock screen. It allows you to get quick access to the camera, messages or phone. And of course you can unlock the smartphone. Change applications for their own, alas, is impossible.
The organization of management of SIM-cards is implemented by the same method as that of other models on MTK processors. In the settings there is a separate menu called “SIM Management”, where the user selects which SIM to use for. Since the priority of SIM-cards can not be changed, work only in the 3G network that is installed in the first slot. Regardless of whether the data transmission is working or not, two SIMs are available for communication, but if the call arrives on the second card (SIM slot 2), Internet access will be suspended. If the call is received on the first one (SIM 1, 3G), you can simultaneously talk and surf. You can also link a call to a particular SIM card.
The flash can be used as a flashlight, for this there is a separate utility. The file manager allows you to install applications if there is no access to the Internet. Well, the compass will help you navigate the terrain.
In the interface of this model, a user previously familiar with Chinese smartphones will not discover anything new. Except maybe a modified lock screen. Otherwise, everything remains unchanged - no proprietary interfaces, but there are a number of pre-installed applications that will be useful to many. I liked that there are no Chinese programs that can not be removed without the help of Root-rights.
▌ WIRELESS NETWORKS
The phone works in 2G cellular networks (GSM / GPRS / EDGE, 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and 3G (900/2100 MHz). In this case, one SIM card functions only in 2G, the other in 2G or 3G. Internet access speeds are normal for this type of network - up to several megabits per second for reception and several hundred kilobytes per second for transmission.
The platform supports Bluetooth version 4.0 (EDR / A2DP) for file and speech transfer. There is a wireless connection Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b / g / n. The device, of course, can be used as an access point (Wi-Fi Hotspot) or modem. There were no problems with the connection, the Wi-Fi sensitivity is high: for example, at a distance of 7 meters (behind the wall) from the ThL W100 router, it confidently showed 3 divisions out of 4.
The smartphone is equipped with a GPS receiver with support for A-GPS. In operation, the navigation service showed itself well - the satellites were caught quickly, the positioning accuracy is good, the receiver sensitivity is normal.
ThL tried to do the work of the modules without any complaints.
▌ PRODUCTIVITY
ThL W100 has an MTK6589 processor, and also includes four Cortex-A7 processor cores with a clock speed of 1.2 GHz, a PowerVR SGX544 graphics core and 1 GB of RAM. ROM capacity is 4 GB, of which 1.9 GB is available.
In performance tests, the ThL W100 showed expectedly good results. They are certainly not flagship by the standards of 2013, but they correspond to what we saw last year in the LG Optimus 4X HD and HTC One X. In AnTuTu, the smartphone scored 13527 points, in Quadrant - 4011 points. PassMark test gave 2084 points.
The smartphone allows you to play modern shooters and races, there are no incompatibility problems with the device in the Play Store.
Power, of course, enough for medium-gravity games.
In the arcade toy, everything is very beautiful and smooth.
In general, ThL W100 is a convenient and fast device, in addition to dynamic games like Real Racing or GTA Vice City, its stuffing works well with video playback, surfing and simple everyday tasks.
▌ BATTERY, CHARGING, TIME OF WORK
The result in Antutu Tester was about 413 points. So a day or two of the active work of the smartphone is quite capable of withstanding.
With a moderate load, telephone conversations, using GPS to navigate and view traffic jams, photographing and shooting video, a smartphone can last more than a day. If you continuously view the video in HD quality via Youtube, the battery will be discharged after 5-6 hours.
▌ CONCLUSION
The ridge of the company ThL W100 is a smartphone balanced by price and performance. Of course, you can scold on the display that it is not HD, but qHD. But it seems to me that users have not lost much, because the screen still provides a high-quality picture, and the performance from this is higher. All that remains is to add that today ThL W100 is one of the best deals on the market for those who don’t chase after brand and design.
▌ ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Good stuffing High-quality assembly Dual SIM support High-quality front camera Bright IPS display There are no Chinese applications Low price Unnecessary led Auto brightness does not work correctly▌ PRICE AND PURCHASE
1. Go to the website http://www.aliexpress.com/ .
2. Register or log in.
3. Go to the product page.
4. Select a color and click on the Buy Now button.
5. In the field Leave a message for this seller write boxoverview .
6. Then click the Place Order button. And close the page on the Check out tab. You do not need to pay anything at this stage!
7. Wait for the seller to lower your price to $ 149. The notification will come to the e-mail.
8. Pay for the goods. After sending the parcel and write the track number for tracking.
Good luck with your purchases! image
Related Links
ThL Official Website Discussion thread on w3bsit3-dns.com Firmware, Root-rights, RecoveryIf you do not have an account on Habrahabr, you can read and comment on our articles on BoxOverview.com
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/188814/
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