Nokia Asha line of smartphones in the budget section have a new addition, Nokia Asha 501 that was released on Thursday. The phone is clearly targeting the developing markets like India where most customers prefer simplicity with an abundance of simple features.
Nokia CEO at a Delhi conference said that Asha phones performed beyond expectations so far and that it was time to refresh the platform. He said the Series 5 Asha phones had been made specifically for consumers in countries like India.
The Asha platform has been revamped for the Asha 501 the first in the Series 5 Asha phones. The phone will cost $99 plus taxes which will work around a price that is under Rs 6000. However, the phone has no 3G support in this model. Another model of the phone with the 3G facility will be launched soon.
Like the Lumia phones, the Asha 501 is available in six color variants. The most interesting aspect of the new mobile is that the company has signed a global partnership with Facebook. Asha 501 users on Airtel and MTNL will get free access to the social networking site.
With a 3 inch touchscreen, 3.2 MP cam and 4GB micro SD card free, users have a lot for a basic price.
The Asha 501 has a 3-inch touchscreen and a 3.2MP camera. It will come with a 4GB microSD card.
Though initially Nokia could compete with the cheaper Android phones under Rs 10,000 in the last one year the latter have improved significantly this year and are hurting Asha sales hard.
(AW-Anil)
