Nokia has unveiled the revamped Asha touch series-the Asha 501, a unique device designed and being marketed as the cheapest phone in the price band.
Nokia Asha 501, a “Full Touch” smartphone part of Nokia’s Asha line and released on June 24, 2013, although it made an inroad to Nigeria on July 12, it comes in either single- or dual-SIM configuration.
The device is actually embedded with a user friendly interface and an integrated ‘Fastlane View’ displaying notification on the locked screen, the Nokia Asha 501 is being offered under its introductory. Offer with a 4GB memory card with the phone.
Looking at it also, the device runs on the new Asha platform – a new polished and developer-friendly OS with a similar UI to MeeGo on the Nokia N9, and featuring technology from Smarterphone, a software company acquired by Nokia in 2012.
The phone includes Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, unfortunately there is no 3G connectivity, relying on EDGE and GPRS (2.75G) for mobile-based networking. The battery has been noted for its long talk and standby times.
Nokia Asha 501 comes preloaded with the Nokia Xpress browser, which (according to Nokia) compresses data server-side by 90% to facilitate the least amount of transferable data with the phone. Nokia Xpress Now is a new app that offers location-based content.
The device features built-in social applications for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Other apps to be included are Foursquare, eBuddy, CNN, ESPN, The Weather Channel, and games from EA.
As with other Nokia products, Asha 501 has been noted for its battery, which offers long standby and talk times — 48 days and 17 hours, respectively — that in turn allows the phone to be used in places with inefficient or nonexistent electricity supply.