At an event in New Delhi today, Nokia unveiled the Asha 501. The new phone boasts a Lumia-like design with a variety of colour options, an improved user interface and a really affordable price of $99.
It’s a 2G phone with a 3-inch display and is based on a new Asha platform that leverages Nokia’s acquisition of Smarterphone. The Asha 501 features a swipe interface and a choice of two main screens – Home where you get a conventional icon-based view and Fastlane that shows all the important things on the home screen based on the usage of the device.
On the software front, it will be pre-loaded with Nokia Xpress web browser that compresses data up to 90 percent, HERE apps support and lots more. Developers can also develop apps for the Asha 501 via the Asha SDK 1.0 and web app tools, which will be available soon.
To round up rest of the features, the Asha 501 will come with a 3.2MP camera, EasySwap for Dual-SIM models, talk time of up to 17 hours, free Facebook access to Airtel and MTNL subscribers, microSD card slot with 4GB microSD card included in the box and 40 free EA games downloadable from the Nokia store.
The phone will arrive in June in India and other 89 countries worldwide.
