Official ROM ThL W100 - Only for rev3

And well, I'm going to start now publishing the ROMs available for our ThL W100.

The first is an Official ROM only for rev3 (check out what is yours!), so don't mess around your phone - it may get bricked and you'll get a useful phone (there is no solution).

ROM Version: ThL.W100.130912.JBV2.QHD.EN.COM.V01.8P32-kol

So, here it is how to install it properly (I'm not responsible for any damage on your phone. Read carefully before the installation!):

- First of all, download it. (Click here! / Mirror Link)
- What you are downloading is the Driver for ThL W100, SP Flash Tool (what will install the ROM on your phone) and the ROM itself. That's over 300MB!
- Install the driver (If your system is Windows 8, make sure you do this!)
- Open the SP Flash Tool
- Click in "Scatter-loading", then select the file "MT6589_Android_scatter_emmc.txt"
- UNCHECK THE FIRST "PRELOADER" (It's very important! If you don't do it, you will brick your phone and unable to use it again!)
- Remove the battery of your phone and wait a little bit
- Connect the USB Cable
- Click on "Download"
- Put the battery on your phone
- Wait until a green circle appears on your computer screen. When it appears, the process is finished.
- You're DONE!

ThL W100: which rev do I have?

Is there certain ROMs for each and different phone types. For ThL W100, is there rev 1, rev 2 and rev 3.

To know which rev do you have on your ThL W100 all you got to do is to remove the battery, and look for your Serial Number (S/N).

If it starts:
- with A: you have rev 1;
- with B: you have rev 2;
- with C: you have rev 3.

Hope it helps!

How to install a custom ROM on ClockworkMod Recovery

You've rooted your phone, installed your favorite apps, setup a recovery, but you still want to change your system... or to make it quicker (less RAM, less resource usage), and you don't know how. But, there's a way to make it: installing a custom ROM. A ROM is basically a file with a Android system and special modifications to the way your phone works: coded to make your phone faster, etc.

You may have heard something about it, as custom ROMs are maybe the only reason and the way to use the potential of your phone specs. This subject is not only for ThL W100 phones and MTK6589 devices, this is for ALL Android terminals. Rooting is just the beginning.

Make sure you search custom ROMs for your device, there is plenty of websites and forums with it, users like you and me who want to "unleash the beast" and make special changes that don't come from factory and official ROMs.

But, take care and beware of it. Read the feedback from users that already installed the ROM you want to install, what it takes to install, and make sure that modifying your ROM won't void your warranty and is for your phone - seriously, don't install a ROM from other phone. Again, you are responsible for what you do with your phone. Read all the steps wisely and carefully and you'll be fine with it.

In my case, I have a MIUI ROM installed on my ThL W100, ported from another MTK 6589 device (I'll post here at the blog, don't worry).


OK, let's go. You have already downloaded a ROM, and have it ready to install. Next, you need to have a SD Card on your phone - because is there you will put the ROM file. Connect your USB cable to your phone, activate the USB transfer on your phone, and simply put the ROM file inside your SD Card, on in a folder destinated for it (that's what I do, to keep it organized).
Next, reboot your phone on recovery mode, and:

- Wipe data/factory reset
- Wipe cache partition
- In "Advanced", select "Wipe dalvik cache"
- Return to the main menu, and select "Install zip from SD card"
- Then you select the ROM file you transfered to your SD card.
- Let it install, and "Reboot system now".
- YOU'RE DONE!

Your phone will take a while booting but don't worry - it's first time on new ROM.
Then, let it start all apps, don't do nothing neither install anything.
After that, reboot your phone. The boot time will decrease, because it's not the first time on the new system.

Keep visiting the blog for more tutorials and how-to's.
And comment if you like it, or want a specific tutorial!

Improve sport apps tracking on MTK quad-core

Today I show you how to improve the measurement of sport apps like Endomondo, Runtastic, Runkeeper, Strava, Sports Tracker, etc.

If you practise sports (cycling, running, etc) and you like to track how are you doing, and you would like to improve the tracking (a error on the Mediatek quad-cores in general - like our THL W100 - is making the tracking not so accurate as it should be). Let's improve it with a simple trick, as following:

WARNING - You need your phone rooted.
(If your phone it's not rooted, click here!)

- Install "Root Explorer" app, or other explorer that enters your phone system
- Access "/system/build.prop"
- Edit it, adding this command "dalvik.vm.execution-mode=int:fast"
- Save the file and reboot the phone
- YOU'RE DONE!

If you want more tutorials, make sure you comment asking what you want, and like us on Facebook to know all news about the blog.

Fixing GPS on THL W100 and MTK6589

It's noticed and proved that something is wrong about the GPS on the MTK6589 CPUs in general.
Some ROMs bring the fix for it, but even though if you test your GPS and it gives you a great margin of error (try it on your home! Go outside and test it!), or it takes too long to find a location, you should try this fix.

You'll need to get your phone rooted. (If your phone isn't rooted, follow this tutorial!)
 
- Turn off GPS;
- Download and Install "Root Explorer", "MobileUncle Tools" and "GPS Test" on Google Play Store;
- Open "Root Explorer" and go to the folder "data" or "data/misc";
- Delete file "mtkgps.dat";
- Reboot your phone;
- Get outside!
- Open "MobileUncle Tools";
- Go to "Engineer Mode";
- Go to "Engineer Mode (MTK)";
- Tap "Location", then "Location Based Service";
- Tap "AGPS" and make sure the "AGPS On/Off" is checked;
- Tap "EPO" and make sure the "Enable EPO" is checked;
- Turn on GPS in notification bar;
- Go back and tap "YGPS";
- Wait until get position lock (that will create a new "mtkgps.dat" file);
- Open "GPS Test". Now you should be position lock very quickly.
- You're DONE!

Now you can disable "AGPS" and "EPO" on "MobileUncle Tools", but it's OK if you keep it enabled, it'll lock position quicker.

If you have any trouble, leave a comment.
If you want more tutorials, leave a comment too!

How to increase internal storage

This is a simple way to increase internal storage on THL W100, by shrinking the size of the /ext partition, and increasing the internal storage, so you can install more apps to the system. All you need is to follow the next instructions.

Beware: save your data before doing it. We will make a wipe data/factory reset, so your internal data (not your SD card data) will be deleted - your phone will be like new.

- You need your phone rooted. (Click here to root your phone!)
- You need to have recovery installed on your phone. (Click here to know how!)
- Install "Meteos MTK6589" through your explorer (Click here to download the app)
- Open Meteos
- Give root permission to the app
- Choose the size of the partition you want (1 GB, 1.5 GB, 2 GB, 2.5 GB, 2.77 GB)
- Accept the change of the partition
- Reboot to the recovery
- Make a "Wipe data/factory reset" in the recovery
- Reboot to system
- YOU'RE DONE!