Today in Nokia World Abu Dhabi Nokia’s biggest announcements will no doubt focus on Lumia devices first and foremost, but it’s not leaving the Asha lineup.
The new announcement in Nokia World is that it’s adding three successors to the Asha 501, the petite smartphone/featurephone hybrid released in May 2013, the Asha 500, Asha 502 and the Asha 503 (the 3G enable device).
They will come in Asha’s standard primary colors with a clear “icy” layer blanketing it. Honing in on Asha’s social initative, one of the new features is the ability to take a photo with a single swipe, after which you can share it instantly to your social network of choice with a single tap.
Even though the popular messaging servicing Whatsapp (350 million active users around the globe) has been available for Asha phones starting from next month, Jan Koum, CEO of WhatsApp announced in Nokia World Abu Dhabi. “I noticed some particular numbers I wanted to share with you. Every day, we register 250,000 people across all Nokia devices.” Jan Koum said.
Nokia also announced that the social feature on Fastlane, Asha’s list-like view of recent activity, is now customizable. For Nokia Asha 501 users who might feel a little left out, don’t fret, as these features will be available to you via an over-the-air (OTA) update as well.
Hardware:
A new hardware design combines two finely-crafted layers of polycarbonate: a vibrantly coloured core, beneath a strong transparent layer. The combination captures and reflects light and colour beautifully, without adding to the size or weight.
It was revealed that the Nokia Asha 500 has a 2-megapixel camera, while both the Nokia Asha 502 and the Nokia Asha 503 have 5-megapixel cameras. The Nokia Asha 503 is clearly the best of the bunch, as it also has 3G and both a single SIM and a dual SIM variant.
Software:
The new Asha experience. It’s a swipeable record of your past, present and future. It offers quick access, notifications and reminders for everything that’s important to you. New to the platform are an improved imaging experience, with much faster, swipe access to the camera, the gallery and social sharing, supported by improved hardware. It’s one tap to share a photo, while a single swipe takes you between the viewfinder and the gallery. New imaging apps like Picfeed, Pictag and Photofunia also available.
The Asha 501 owner, aren’t left out: they will receive the new features through a software update. All new Asha 501s shipped from the factory will also come with the new software.
Price:
Nokia Asha 500 will retail at around 69 USD.
Nokia Asha 502 at around 89 USD
Nokia Asha 503 at about 99 USD.
All prices are before any local taxes or operator subsidies.
The new Nokia Asha 500, Asha 502 and Asha 503 will available from quarter four, in the Asia-Pacific market.
Specifications:
Asha 500 (Single SIM and Dual SIM):
- Screen size / type: QVGA 2.8-inch capacitive
- Camera: 2-megapixel Storage: 64MB RAM; up to 32GB micro SD card support
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM; AV jack; WLAN; Micro-USB
- Battery: Standby: up to 35 days; Talk time: up to 14 hours
Asha 502 (Dual SIM):
- Screen size / type: QVGA 3-inch capacitive
- Camera: 5-megapixel with LED Flash
- Storage: 64MB RAM; up to 32GB micro SD card support
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM; AV jack; WLAN; Micro-USB
- Battery: Standby: up to 24 days; Talk time: up to 13.7 hours
Asha 503 (3G enabled, Single SIM and Dual SIM)
- Screen size / type: QVGA 3-inch capacitive, curved Gorilla Glass
- Camera: 5-megapixel with LED Flash
- Storage: 64MB RAM; up to 32GB micro SD card support
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 3.0 with SLAM; AV jack; WLAN; Micro-USB
- Battery: Standby: up to 35 days; Talk time: up to 12 hours
