ThL is a new chinese company, founded in 2011, producing Dual Sim smartphones based on MediaTek chipset. The quality of their product is good compared to another brands, some support offered, a showroom, good prices and based on price they have an aggressive marketing.But their big problem is not to communicate outside China. Their site is full of pictures with chinese words inside, just for visitors to not use some translator. Until december 2011 their site was "normal" but they changed when had the feeling that some visitors are using translators.
Don't write to them because they will ignore everything is not Chinese. I can't understand their strategy. They don't want at least american or european money, or from some countries where the dual sim phones are largely used from Asia?
Strategy:
Some of their strategies seems to be good at this moment:
- recently, cooperation agreement with CCTV, and on ThL site the logo is displayed now with CCTV logo. About CCTV and the agreement, here.
- the design used on their site seems to have something non-chinese, because is not over-loaded until now like all chinese are using. Is still clean, but not very.
- their phones seems to have better quality than other chinese cheap brands
- they have a showroom with a nice design too
- on the product pages they have a very good communication and this is great for the users, responding even if the questions are not "nice" for their company
- seems that they can offer firmware upgrades for their product and this is another great part
Product history:
1. ThL V7. This is their first phone, launched in december 2012, but another brands like ChangJiang A007, Phantom G11 made almost the same phone. But ThL-V7 put a good 5MP camera which is rare on chinese phones. This phone is based on MT6573 650MHz chipset, 4.0" display, 3G, Dual Sim, but the difference between ChangJiang for example is no analog TV on ThL.
This wasn't a big problem for ThL because they started a very aggressive selling at 999 Yuan (167$) which was about 20% cheaper than their competitors.
The phone is nice, good battery and good quality. This is the model ThL will never forget and I have the feeling they will never make again a nice model like V7. Was something lucky for them which helped and launched on the chinese market.
But they learned something from this based on the users feedback or they were happy with the selling of V7 and think all their phones will be sold in the same way? Let's see in their next V8 model:
2. ThL V8. This is their second phone, launched in January 2012, using the same design like other chinese phones like HD7 or Hero 7300 (HTC clones). The strategy was only about the price and I consider this was a big mistake from them. The main difference between ThL-V8 and V7 is the display which is bigger for V8: 4.3".
They offered 4.3" at the same price 999 Yuan like the V7, but what was the cost? They put an ordinary camera and weak battery. Of course the customers complained about camera and battery, but they can't fix this problem. Because of negative feedback they didn't sold the V8 on their site. What to do with a phone which is a little bigger than the gorgeous V7 but with a small battery?
I read on many chinese forum some users feedback: most of them is "cheap, cheap, I want it cheap! Price is the key!". Someday they will learn that not only price is the key.
Why ThL not using another phone design to fit a larger battery and put the ThL V7 camera? They considered that for example 1100 Yuan smartphone will be not possible to sell? They learned something from this? We will see in their next model ThL-V9:
3. ThL V9. This is their third smartphone and it's based on the same MT6573 650MHz chipset used on V7 and V8 models and on the ThL site are available until now just some pictures.
The ThL first move was to put again the 5MP camera and the BP-4L battery used on V7.
The display will be 4 inches, QHD (540x960) which will be almost the same resolution and viewing like on iPhone!
Bbased on their experience, they want again some nice design and they will offer 3 colors of V9: full black, white-chromium, black-chromium (see the pictures). The design is nice and the trick is the metallic border which Lenovo A750 doesn't have it. Lenovo made a good looking A60 with metallic border and 3 metallic buttons and now that A750 is too common. Also the V9 lost the stylish V7 metallic button which was the secret of the awesome V7 design, but repaired the design whit the metallic border.
Price? Expect 999 yuan because V10 will be soon and people expected MT6575 chipset inside V9...
 |
| Style. |
 |
| 5MP camera with autofocus. 480p recording. |
 |
| 650MHz MT6573 MediaTek chipset. |
 |
| 3G, Dual sim |
 |
| 4.3" QHD display: 960x540. |
 |
| Colors: full black, white-chromium, black-chromium. |
4. ThL V10. This is their planned smartphone and because not available yet on their site, I will tell you more about it: it's based on the new MT6575 1GHz chipset and is supposed to be launched at the end of March 2012.
V10 will have the same 5MP camera. Regarding camera I always put this question: how to record 720p with a low quality camera like almost chinese use on their phones? People are recording for specs (1280x720) or to see nice video? I consider this 5MP camera is the limit for 720p recording and could be a better quality.
The display will be 4.3", QHD (540x960) which will be almost the same resolution and viewing like on iPhone!
Of course, one big question is: again some HTC clone design made again by Ningo Bird? ThL can't create something nice and new? If they will sell only in China, is easy for them to copy some nice model made by some big company, but also they are pressed by time because of the already launched Lenovo A750.
If they will use some already made designed phone they will use the provided battery and I think will be the same BP-4L 1650mAh battery. I have the feeling the battery will not be so strong for the new chipset, but enough. Speaking about Bird, until now they made 3 prototypes and one of them will have HDMI output and 3D, but V10 will not have HDMI because ThL want low price.
If they will use some already made designed phone they will use the provided battery and I think will be the same BP-4L 1650mAh battery. I have the feeling the battery will not be so strong for the new chipset, but enough. Speaking about Bird, until now they made 3 prototypes and one of them will have HDMI output and 3D, but V10 will not have HDMI because ThL want low price.
But ThL was thinking to add at least the TV Out support which is available on MediaTek chipset and which can be used from the headphones jack? Of course is cheaper than the HDMI output but they can offer an option which can be wrote on the phone description. I think no! Based on the price strategy they will not think about such option and they will lose some clients like me. I don't care about 60 Yuan (10$) if I want some option. If not TV Out on V10 maybe I will go to the Bird model with HDMI output even will cost more also because of 3D (which is useless for me also because no 3D phone camera).
Another big question (the great question for chinese people not interesed in quality) will be: price? I think Lenovo will receive some kick from ThL. I expect the ThL at about 1200 yuan and Lenovo at 1500 yuan. But what will do Lenovo if ThL will start selling at 999 Yuan? What will do the other chinese producers or his brother ChangJiang? I will tell you: lower quality for display, bad battery, bad camera, everything bad just for the price.
As you can see, for me the latest question is about price.
