Hands-on with the THL W8S War Machine

We first saw the THL W8S on the Facebook Page of Novo 7 Tech a few weeks ago shortly after they guested on the Unbox Podcast. It was definitely an intriguing smartphone since it packed a turbo quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, and a 5-inch Full HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3! A few days after the initial reveal Novo 7 Tech started calling the device “THL WS8 War Machine“. The specs definitely live up to the name but they all white glossy body probably should be swapped out for a metallic finish with red and black color hues, hehe.

Anyway, we were able to get our hands on a unit that was on display in one of Novo 7 Tech’s kiosks. Before we get to the initial review let’s take a step back and check out the specifications one more time.

THL W8s Spec Sheet

• 1.5GHz Quad Core MediaTek MT6589T processor
• PowerVR SGX544MP graphics
• 2GB RAM
• 32GB internal storage, expandable via MicroSD
• 5.0-inches Full HD IPS LCD display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 13.0 megapixels primary camera with autofocus and LED flash
• 5.0 megapixels secondary facing camera
• 3G, HSPA+, WiFi, WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
• 2,000 mAh battery
• Android Jelly Bean 4.2
• SRP: P12,495

Build: A Whole Lot Like the Galaxy S3

On the hardware front the THL W8S War Machine does not resemble the character in the Iron Man franchise, hehe. It actually looks a whole lot more like the Samsung Galaxy S3. It has a dominantly plastic chassis with a chrome band running along the sides. The edges are rounded and curved which makes it ergonomic (easy to hold). All the buttons are on the sides and there’s a physical home button below the screen. Yes, the resemblance between the THL W8S and the GS3 is uncanny, lol. :O

The 13.0-megapixel shooter is a the top center of the back together with the LED flash. This camera is potentially a good shooter considering that the quality of the shots we got from the THL W11 Monkey King was just superb. Hopefully they carried over the same optical technology to this device.

The display is smooth to the touch thanks to the coating and the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 glass. It’s equally impressive once turned on as the Full HD IPS screen just pops out and comes to life. Colors are vibrant and bright while images and photos are crispy and detailed. Definitely a screen deserving of the price tag.

Performance: Blazing Fast

The real “War Machine” is in the inside of the THL W8S. The Turbo Quad-core processor combined with the 2GB RAM was more than enough to power through the Full HD display on a 5.0-inch canvass. We tried a variety of functions including the basic ones like transitions to the more hardcore ones like games. All of them ran smoothly on the THL W8S. When it comes to power this device is oozing with it!

You can also stuff so much stuff in to this seeing as it has 32GB internal storage that’s still expandable via micro SD card. Definitely ideal as a portable media player!

We’ll Try to Get a Review Unit

We’ll try to secure a review unit so we can give you guys a more comprehensive take on this new offering from THL/Novo 7 Tech. Who knows we might be able to get them to guest on the podcast again! 😀