The days when Chinese Android smartphones lagged behind the big brand leaders are drawing to a close, as evidenced by the latest crop of budget handsets emerging from the mainland in 2014. One of the first of these is a gorgeous new handset from one of our favorite manufacturers, THL, who have produced something which manages to look fabulous as well as offer a top feature set and blistering performance.

The THL T100s is an Octa-Core (yes 8 core, not quad) phone which delivers a set of specifications hot enough to make any power hungry Android fan salivate. The slim, elegant handset ships with a 5 inch, 1080p (1980×1080) touchscreen, 1.7GHz true octa-core processor, 2 GB RAM, dual SIM dual standby, NFC, USB OTG (for attaching external peripherals), 32 GB of on-board storage, with support for an extra 64 GB via microSD cards, and twin 13 megapixel cameras front and back. Excited yet?

First Impressions
The phone ships in the trademark simple carton that we’ve come to expect from THL, no flash graphics, just a simple logo on the outside. Inside the box again there’s nothing new, simply a basic but professionally produced user manual, charge block and cable and a headset. There’s also a screen protector for added protection.

The phone ships with a single 2300mAh battery, which is interesting because it looks as though the days of providing two batteries in the box are also coming to an end, since this is the second THL phone to only come with one. It’s not a big deal, although we did like the convenience of being able to carry around an extra battery for long weekend use.

In Use
The first thing that’s really noticeable about this new phone is how slim and elegant it looks, and how comfortable in the hand. The long rectangular shape is a real change from the typical Samsung Galaxy design, and as far as we’re concerned it’s a great way to deliver larger screens while still giving users one handed control over the navigation of the software. We liked it in the W200 and this phone does it even better.

Open up the back and you’ve got the usual space for two SIM cards, only this time there’s a micro SIM alongside a standard SIM, which means you can mix and match easily between different types. It’s a very cool idea, and we think it’s very logical given today’s split between the different formats.

The other new feature is the fact that the T100s accepts microSD cards up to 64GB in capacity, which means you’ve got a maximum storage space on the phone of nearly 100GB. More than enough for that large collection of Elvis albums and photos of Aunt Ethel. The upgrade from the 32GB maximum on previous MediaTek powered phones is very handy.

The other new feature is built-in NFC (near field communication) which you can use to beam content from one phone to another, or use with a suitably secure app to act like an NFC card for secure data transfer. We tested it out with a Nokia Lumia 1020 and it worked like a charm. Hold the two handsets back to back and they automatically connect, so all you have to do is select the beam content button and the transfer starts. Quick and easy.

Take a look at the video below to get our overview of this phone in action.

Read on for more details, comparison image and video samples, price, specifications and conclusions.

One of the most impressive things about the handset, apart from the sheer speed of having an 8 core processor in your hand (apps load like lightning, games run with no glitches and browsing and map navigation is incredibly swift) is the fact that the power management is also top notch. Of course a lot of the credit goes to the Android 4.2.2 operating system, but we’re thinking that the MediaTek chipset is also playing nicely with standby modes.

[THL gallery, including the W100, W8s and the T100s. Notice the crisp clear screen of the new handset on the right]

We’re getting over a days worth of use with light calls, a bit of gaming and general WiFi browsing. Not heavy use, mind you, because you’ll clearly drain the battery more with full on GPS and extensive 3D games, but it’s at least as good as any other phone we’ve used in the past year or so. And as we know, it’s impossible to test battery use consistently from handset to handset, because every user is different.

Camera
A large part of any modern smartphone is the camera, and the T100 doesn’t disappoint. Again we’re going to repeat ourselves and state that it’s not going to touch the majestic performance of the Nokia Lumia 1020 camera, but it certainly holds its own with any other smartphone out on the market at the moment. And remember this is a budget priced phone!

Image Samples

Apple iPhone 5 vs THL T100s <click to expand>

Apple iPhone 5 above, THL T100s below

iPhone 5 left below, T100s right below

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs THL T100s <click to expand>

Galaxy S4 above, THL T100s below

Video Sample (comparison between THL T100s and Samsung Galaxy S4)

Conclusion
The surprisingly swift arrival of octa-core handsets on the budget phone market has surprised many people, including us. Traditionally the big brands make the large technological advances first and announce way ahead of anyone else, but in this case it looks as though the smaller companies are fighting back, and with style.

The T100s is quite simply one of the nicest Android smartphones we’ve ever used, and it certainly holds its own with any other phone on the market. The only feature which is missing from the phone is 4G data capabilities, but as we’ve said before, this is less of an issue because the roll-out of 4G is currently patchy at best. If you don’t live in a major capital city it’s likely that you’re not going to enjoy those super fast speeds for some time yet.

Above and below: T100s vs Samsung Galaxy S4

But for now, if you’re in the market for a new Android phone (or feel the urge to switch from your current platform of choice) then you should definitely take a look at this super Android phone. It’s a great example of how to get it right in all the places that count. Recommended.

Price: $309.99 / £189.78

Specifications

General
OS Version: 4.2
CPU: MT6592 True Octa-Core
Processor Speed (max): 1.7GHz
RAM: 2GB
Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
3G: WCDMA 850/2100 MHz
Bluetooth
GPS
FM radio
NFC
USB OTG
Portable Wi-Fi Hotspot (3G Tethering)
Google Play
Adobe Flash
13 Megapixel Rear Camera + 13 Megapixel Front-Facing Camera
Video Resolution: 640×480 Front / 1280×720 Back
Mic and Speaker
Battery Size: 2300mAh

Display
Display Size: 5 Inch OGS Technology
Display Resolution: 1920×1080
5 Point Capacitive Multi Touch Display

Memory
Internal: 32GB
Micro SD Card up to 64GB

Ports
SIM Card Slot – 1x GSM/WCDMA
Micro SIM Card Slot – 1x GSM/WCDMA
Micro SD Card Slot
3.5 mm Audio Out Port
Micro USB Port

Sensors
Proximity Sensor
Magnetic Field Sensor
Accelerometer Sensor
Gravity Sensor
Light Sensor

Dimensions
Main product dimensions: 144x70x9mm (L x W x D)
Main product weight: 147g

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