Nokia announced the new Nokia Asha 501 at a global press conference in New Delhi, India. It is the first product of the new generation Ashas with a brand new platform. 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 design is inspired by Lumia and will be available in six colours. Asha 501, a smart device to take on the low-cost Android phone.
The Nokia Asha 501 features a 3-inch QVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen, it supports two finger multitouch. The phone supports a 3.2MP fixed-focus camera, Wi-Fi connectivity and will offer a 4GB memory microSD card (device has 128 MB of internal memory). The phone supports microSD cards of up to 32GB. The device is powered by a 1 GHz processor. The Nokia Asha 501 is available in single or EasySwap Dual SIM models. The device supports only 2G connection. Nokia said that the 3G version is likely to be launched later.
Nokia also announced a global partnership with Facebook, saying that Asha 501 users on Airtel and MTNL will get free access to the social networking site, even without a data plan (this will be for a limited time only).
Here are the key specifications of the device-
- 3.0-inch QVGA 320 x 240 pixels display with hardened glass
- 1 GHz processor
- 3.2MP camera
- Dimensions: 99.2 x 58 x 12.1 mm; Weight: 98 g
- 128 MB of internal memory with 4GB micro SD card provided in the box (up to 32 GB)
- Dual SIM(with one slot capable of hot swap), with 2G, WiFi, Bluetooth and FM Radio
- 40 free EA Games downloadable from Nokia Store
- 1200 mAh battery with up to 17 hours of talktime and up to 48 days of standby (Dual SIM standby time: up to 26 days)
The available colours, which are also replaceable shells, come in Bright Red, Lemon Yellow, Parrot Green, Ice Blue, White and Black.The Nokia Asha 501 is expected to start shipping in June 2013. It is expected to be available through approximately 60 operators and distributors in more than 90 countries worldwide. The Phone will cost $99 ( (~Rs. 5,347)before taxes and subsidies for the single-SIM version.
