Nokia Affordable Smartphone Asha 501

Nokia on May 9 unveiled the first of a new family of Asha smartphones with the introduction of the Nokia Asha 501. This $99 touch-screen smartphone pushes the boundaries of affordable smartphone design with bold color, a high-quality build and an innovative user interface. The Nokia Asha 501 is the first device to run on the new Asha platform, which is designed to make the experience faster and more responsive. The Asha platform also helps developers to create, publish and make more money from apps made specifically for the new generation of Asha devices.

The new Asha comes with Nokia Xpress Browser pre-loaded, which compresses Internet data by up to 90%. This is aimed at making mobile browsing faster and more affordable. Nokia also announced the availability of Nokia Xpress Now, a new Web application that recommends content based on location, preferences and trending topics. It will be available via the Browser homepage or as a download from Nokia Store.

The handset features a single homepage to access both apps and calling function, as well as the option to swipe to Nokia’s ‘Fastlane’ page which lists recently used apps, contacts and social network updates.

With Asha 501, Nokia aims to fight off Android at the low end of the mobile markphones. For higher end, it has Lumia phones which run Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system

Features Of Asha 501

3-inch 320×240 pixel
256k colour TFT capacitive touchscreen
Weight 98.2 grams,
12.1mm thick
128MB of built-in storage, expandable via microSD to 32GB (a 4GB card will be bundled with the phone)
Powered by a 1200 mAh battery
It will be available in bright red, bright green, cyan, yellow, white and black

Asha Platform

The new Asha platform provides developers with an open, standards-based environment for creating quality apps for consumers. Developers can create apps for the Nokia Asha 501 that will be compatible with future Asha platform-based devices. Nokia gives developers the chance to make more money through the global reach of Nokia Store and tools like Nokia In-App Payment and Nokia Advertising Exchange (NAX), as well as Nokia’s unparalleled operator billing network.