[THL T200C] My running review, thoughts, and opinions

[WuddaWaste]

Rather than sitting down to write a single organized article regarding my thoughts with the THL T200C, I'm going to use this thread as an all-purpose ramble for things I figure out as I go along. I've had this phone for a couple of days now (thanks Gizbeat!!!) and have had a bit of time to get used to it.

BY FAR THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGE I'VE NOTICED IS THE SIGNAL STRENGTH! Holy freaking smokes! My living quarters is essentially The Batcave when it comes to cell phone reception. I've been here for a number of years, and reception has always been an issue. Maybe there's leaded paint in the walls. Maybe my upstairs neighbors are using a massive RF jammer to prevent contact with aliens. I have no idea. But ALL of my phones have ALWAYS struggled with reception at my place. My friends' phones had the same problem (regardless of cell network). Then I met the THL T200C, and that problem just seemed to melt away. In places where I'd routinely get 0.1 bars of service (barely any service 10% of the time), I'm suddenly getting 4 bars. WHAT??? This phone has already outperformed my Star S7589, LG Nexus 4, Blackberry 8900, Blackberry 8520, and whatever Blackberry phone I had before that. It's unbelievable! For this reason alone, I couldn't possibly be happier! NICE!

As compared to my Star S7589 (most recent phone) it is slightly bigger and feels surprisingly lighter in the hand. That is going to take some getting used to. I was expecting it to be as heavy as the previous phone, if not heavier since it's bigger. It could be the smaller battery that I'm feeling. In either case, my brain finds it confusing to reach for a bigger phone and have it weigh less. The shape of the phone is definitely more rectangular and less curved. Overall, it feels a little less secure in my hand than did the previous phone. Perhaps that's the weight, perhaps it's just the feel of a new device, perhaps it's the curvature of the back panel on the S7589 making it feel more snug, or perhaps it's because it's a full out 6-inch behemoth phone and I have tiny little sissy hands. In any case, it does feel slightly different.

[mkh]

wudda..which version do u have? is it the 720p one with 16GB ram or the 1080p version with 32GB ram?

how is the phones battery life...how is voice clarity and GPS?any issues with bluetooth (i want to use in car)..
does it accept a 64gb sd card?
am planning to order the 1080p version because it comes with 32GB ram..ur replies and experience with this phone are appreciated.

[WuddaWaste]

Hey mkh! Thanks for reading my post, man.

I have the 720p version with 16GB of RAM.

The battery life and voice clarity are both extraordinary. No complaints at all. I have yet to try the GPS, but Gizbeat's experience with this phone showed a very fast lock. I'll have to try it out this weekend (or maybe during my lunch break at work), but I suspect there are no problems at all.

As for Bluetooth, I can't give it my full endorsement yet. I have it paired to my car stereo (Pioneer FH-P8000BT) now. It pairs fine and music streams through it without problems. However, every call I've made/received so far (like 3) hasn't been put through to the stereo. It will just interrupt the music, but keep the call audio on my device rather than piping it through to the stereo. I've only spent 3 minutes so far messing with stuff, so hopefully I'll get more time soon to figure it out. I'll keep you updated on this one over the next couple of days.

As for the 64GB card, I'm unfortunately not going to have an answer for you. I only have a 32GB card. Sorry man.

[mkh]

wudda..thanks mate..am just confused whether i should go for the 32gb 1080pmodel or the 16gp 720p model...its a difference of $50..but am more worried about the battery part of it..wil 2500mah be poor battery for the 1080 model?
storage can go upto 64 gb so nossiues...but am tempted by the 1080p on the 6 inches...what would u suggest?

how tough or easy ur finding using a 6 inch model as a phone for day to day use?is it too big and difficult to use as a phone?

[WuddaWaste]

GPS was a success. It locked practically instantaneously.

Bluetooth remains a failure. It pairs fine, but simply refuses to route call audio through the stereo at all. It defaults audio to the phone's handset. When I try to force it over to BT, it tries for a few seconds then gives up and reverts back to the handset.

6" is not difficult at all for me to use as a phone. I'm coming from a 5.8" phone before, so the transition is very natural. Going from the Nexus 4 (like 4.7" or so) to the 5.8" screen was a bigger transition, but still took less than half a day to get used to. It's incredibly natural. The bigger issue with a huge phone is all the bizarre attention it draws socially. Everyone wants to talk about how big my phone is. Haha.

If it were me, I'd still pocket the extra $50 and go with the 720p version. The screen as it is is downright stunning (I've already received several compliments). I value battery life and additional processing headroom over what may be a very minute display difference. On top of that, because 1080p + octa-core phone technology is more new than it is mature, I'd rather play it safe until it's been more proven.

[mkh]

thanks wudda for some sane advice..am going for the 720p version with 16GB RAM..battery life is very important to me..i need it to last at least for a day..will put in a 64gb card and then tell u...

is it possible to install apps on the sd card? or they can be moved and made to work?
i see this has only no GPS and no AGPS/EPO what does that mean?

i hope i get one with a good bluetooth to stream audio over my car bluetooth!

[WuddaWaste]

It'd be awesome if you let me know about the 64GB card! Do you have a particular brand you prefer to use? Thanks in advance!

Yes, you can install and move most apps to the SD card. This is a basic Android feature. They can be moved back and forth as you see necessary.

AGPS and EPO are both help get a faster lock on GPS. It may be possible to enable them through Engineering Mode if you need them, but my experience so far is that they are not necessary. This phone has a crazy fast GPS lock (especially when compared to my previous generation of Chinese phone).

In regards to Bluetooth, I'll be on the lookout for a fix. Perhaps you'll have better luck than I did. I suspect that THL will release an update to the OS soon(er or later), which may fix this bug.

[mkh]

Thanks my friend..
I usually use strontium...no problems with 2 32 GB ones I have.they r the cheapest,reliable and with life time warranty. Planning to get a nitro 64 GB once my phone arrives.
Ordered with dhl so might get it by Tuesday..Now need to order a smart flip case and an additional original battery. Looking at androidzcart
Hope I get lucky with Bluetooth or we get a fix.i need to talk while I drive. ....I don't want to buy a headphone with bluetooth.
Can u tel me how to activate a GPS n epo in engineering mode? In case GPS is poor....
I am eager to see how this phone is as this is my first smart phone.

[WuddaWaste]

Let me know if you find any deals on batteries. I need to pick up a second one as well. I'm not a big fan of the stock flip cases they have but am keeping hopeful for a decent aftermarket. Maybe my optimism is a bit much.

I haven't done engineering mode on this phone yet but I'm planning on putting Xposed Installer on here after I get my SD card in.

Speaking of SD cards, I thought specificially of you and your 64GB experiment. I wish I had a glimpse into the future because now it looks like I'm in the market for a new card. I was removing apps and backing up data to my old SD card from my old phone. After about an hour last night I was finally done. Went to remove the card from my phone for the transplant and *CRACK* it snapped! Crud buckets! I was pretty irked.

Anyway, did a bit of research (preliminary). If it turns out you can't use your 64GB card, chances are it's just the file system. If you format the card with the correct file system, it should work fine. I think it's FAT32 but double check that before taking my word for it.

In all other regards, I'm pretty much loving this phone. I hope you dig your too! It's been really awesome and I'm happy to report that the battery life truly is stellar. I've gone all day today. Got home at 230am and I still have over 40 percent left. Booyah!

[mkh]

OK. Will let u know about battery,case n SD card. Will get my phone by wed.