Building up a new family of Asha Smartphones Nokia unveiled Asha 501, an affordable smartphone running on a new Asha platform, designed with bold color, a high-quality build and an innovative swipe user interface.
Nokia Asha 501 features a full touch 3 inch QVGA capacitive display with a resolution of 320 x 240 which is build on scratch-resistant glass and on the back it features a durable, removable casing. One the major attraction of the device is the new innovative user interface that make use of simple swipe and a choice of two main screens – Home and Fastlan. Home is a traditional, icon-based view for launching individual apps or accessing a specific feature, like the dialler or phone settings. The new Fastlane view is inspired by how people really use their phone with recently accessed contacts, social networks and apps, unique to each person, are stored and presented in Fastlane. It provides a record of how the phone is used, giving people a glimpse of their past, present and future activity, and helping them multi-task by providing easy access to their favorite features.
Asha 501 runs on the new Asha platform which provides developers with an open, standards-based environment for creating quality apps for consumers. It comes with Nokia Xpress Browser pre-loaded, which compresses Internet data by up to 90% that makes mobile browsing faster and more affordable. Nokia also pre-loaded Nokia Xpress Now, a new Web application that recommends content based on location, preferences and trending topics.
“The new Nokia Asha 501 raises the bar for what is possible in affordable smartphone design and optimization,The synergy between the physical design and the engine that is the new Asha platform has created a smartphone with both style and substance at a great price.” said Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia.
- 3 inch QVGA capacitive display (320 x 240)
- Asha platform
- 3.2 MP rear camera
- GPRS/EDGE, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0connectivity
- Additional memory of 4GB (card included in box), expandable up to 32GB
- Forty free EA Games worth €75 downloadable from Nokia Store
- 1200 mAh BL-4U battery
Nokia, Facebook and mobile telecom operator Airtel to offer free data access to Facebook through the standalone Facebook app, as well as the mobile site m.facebook.com. Thus Airtel subscribers can enjoy unlimited, data-free access to Facebook from their Nokia Asha 501 for a limited period of time.
The Nokia Asha 501 is expected to available from June 2013 at a price tag of around 99 USD ( Rs 5500) before taxes and subsidies.