[Question] New Here - THL T11 or iNew V8?

[Houki]

Hello I'm new here, but I've recently been looking into getting a cheaper phone. The THL T11 and iNew V8 (2GB RAM version) both caught my eye, and I'm trying to decide between them.

Merimobiles has the T11 for a pretty decent price, which is enticing me. I like the T11 for the better battery life, but I read on XDA that you can't install xposed framework on it without it bootlooping.

Right now, I'm leaning more towards the iNew V8 because of the rotatable camera. The only problem is that I'm not sure where I should purchase it from. Out of the sponsored shops, Gearbest has it backordered, and Merimobiles doesn't have the 2GB versions yet. I want to order from another site since it is one of the cheaper prices and comes with an extra screen protector and battery free of charge, but I'm not sure if it's safe to buy from them. I don't have any experience with any of the Chinese retailers.

Also, I'm from Canada and was wondering if people usually get hit with import tax/duties when receiving their phones.

Thank you.

[WuddaWaste]

@Gizbeat is the best guy to ask. He has owned them both. Hopefully he will chime in here and give his two cents.

I have a THL bias, since I personally have a THL T200C. My experience thus far is that they make an exceptional and stable phone for the price. However, with that said, if it were me I'd probably go with an iNew V8. Here's why:

1. Screen size. I think 5.5" is kind of perfect.
2. Additional RAM as an option (I prefer 2GB to 1GB by far).
3. Battery. Yep, I said it. Despite the smaller battery size, in Gizbeat's review of the THL T11, he mentioned having a hard time getting it to go into true deep sleep. My girl has the 1GB iNew V8 and the battery life seems to be surprisingly spectacular with real-world use.

That said, the iNew V8 has some annoyances:

(1) Most noteably is that it has a toast message that keeps popping up everytime your network switches. It's super hella annoying, but I *think* an Xposed module has the capability to fix it.

(2) The flip camera thing rules, but at the same time the girl reported it can get annoying if you're trying to take a call and the camera happens to be flipped in an awkward position.

(3) Six cores in a processor is less than eight, but both are performance-wise comparably awesome, so it's not a huge deal.

[GizBeat]

I just checked with Gearbest, they will be in stock today. But they are flying out the door as fast as they come in. If "backordered", we're talking about a few days wait at most. If it's backordered at Gearbest, it's likely backordered at all shops, but not all shops are going to be up front about it. They are delivered in small batches from iNew to all shops.

Regarding THL T11 vs iNew V8, the THL T11 is a very solid phone. There is firmware available that will allow you to use Xposed. As @Wuddawaste mentioned though, I did have some issues with deep sleep and the THL T11 with ROMS other than stock.

This is a very tough call. I would nix Xposed from your criteria. Really it's secondary to other concerns (battery life, build quality, ROM stability, specs, frequency support). The THL T11 is tried and true and super solid physical build, but the iNew V8 really stands out with it's design. If you held a gun to my head, I'd say THL T11. That being said, I've got another iNew V8 on the way. It's newer and I'm curious about testing it further.

If you order the V8, just let us know your order # in this thread and I'll arrange for it to go out with the first available batch.

[edcoolio]

How do the cameras stack up against one another?

This is one of the major hassles and problems with low to mid-range budget China brand phones.

It is also very difficult to quantify, other than "this has a Sony camera" - but of course, it is practically impossible to search for a China branded phone on websites based on f value or camera quality/manuf.

Heck, I'm having trouble finding information here on this general subject!

[WuddaWaste]

@edcoolio I have posted up a bunch of pictures from my THL T200C in the picture forum. I think the T200C and T11 use identical cameras so you can use that as a crude baseline. Technical mumbo jumbo aside, I love the snot out of this camera. If I weren't so lazy about resizing images this whole forum would be flooded with way more pics from this phone. Haha

[Houki]

Thank you @"WuddaWaste" and @"Gizbeat" for the information!

From what I've read, THL seems to be the more reputable company with better build quality for their devices, so that's reassuring for the T11 side, but I think I will go for the iNew V8.
I watched the video review for the iNew V8 and was impressed with it. I also like that it comes with Android 4.4 Kitkat out of the box compared to the THL T11 on 4.2. The toast notification on network switch would get annoying to me, but I'm hopeful that the xposed module will help fix that. The camera flipping into an awkward position when in calls wouldn't be much of an issue to me, since I barely use phones for calling haha.

Gearbest definitely seems to be the way to go for me. I'm gonna go sleep on it and make my final decision tomorrow. I'll most likely be ordering the iNew V8 from them.

[GizBeat]

Okay, please post your order # here or email admin [email protected] after you order so we can request priority.

[Houki]

Okay just like you said, the iNew V8 was back in stock at Gearbest when I ordered.
My order number is WW1409090514279601.
Went with the expedited shipping and shipping insurance just to be safe and help ensure I receive it without any problems.

Thank you for your help, can't wait to test it out!

[GizBeat]

Okay. During business hours tomorrow, I will contact them and let them know to get it out ASAP.

Just a quick note, Gearbest now has 30 2GB iNew V8's in stock ($195 with coupon code: GBV8ZZ). They will go out within 3 full business days of ordering. Anyone who orders can leave order number in this thread or contact [email protected] with your order number to put a fire under it.

[WuddaWaste]

I'm crazy stupid stoked that 1900MHz Chinese phones now exist. Getting that phone for under $200 is freaking awesome. This thread really makes me wish I needed a new cell phone right now.

Hope you enjoy the new toy, @Houki ! You'll have to let us know your thoughts when you get it! Maybe you can even show off your photography skills to help cure @edcoolio 's curiosities!

Happy for you, man!