The Nokia Asha 501 is part of Nokia's budget range of phones,
aimed at emerging markets like India and Latin America. It'll land in
the UK in Q3 this year, with wider European availability from June.
Nokia has said that it won't be shipping to North America any time soon
-- if ever.
It has a low-resolution capacitive touch screen and
uses only 2G data networks, but it has a fun, vibrant, plastic design
and a supercheap price tag of $99.
Design If you've
spent time with any of Nokia's recent phones, the 501 will be quite
familiar. It's got a one-piece, polycarbonate back that's very
reminiscent of the
Lumia 520.
The back panel is made from one single sheet of material -- the only
seam you'll find on the phone is around the edge of the screen.
That
helps make it feel very solid and secure. I wasn't able to put it
through CNET's usual brutal set of stress tests, but it certainly felt
like it could take a knock or two. If it does start to show some wear
and tear, you can always swap the back panel for a fresh one.
It's
available in a rainbow of garish colours to suit your mood or, more
likely, your outfit. Its back has a much more angular design than the
Lumia phones, which gives it more of a toy-like appearance. It's still
comfortable to hold though, as its 3-inch screen doesn't require you to
stretch your palms.
The display has a 320x240-pixel resolution which, compared to
the Full HD smart phones around, is pretty poor. You really can't expect
that sort of quality for such a low-end price, though. Icons and larger
text are all perfectly readable. It's not particularly bright, nor does
it have great colors, but again, it does the job adequately for the
money.
Software and features The Asha 501 runs on
Nokia's own Asha software rather than the swanky Windows Phone 8
software you'll find on the more premium Lumia line. It looks fairly
simple and has a couple of neat tricks up its sleeve, but it won't
appeal to those users who are accustomed to a more refined smartphone
experience.
The lock screen can display notifications -- SMS
messages, missed calls, and so on -- that you can either swipe away and
ignore, or tap to deal with them immediately. Unlock the phone and
you'll be taken to a grid of app icons, similar to what you'd expect to
see in iOS. Swipe to either side of the apps and you'll see a scrolling
activity log displaying recent apps, activities, and recently called
contacts.
It's pretty easy to operate so the technophobes among
you shouldn't be scared off , but it doesn't have the sort of slick
multitasking features crucial to a top-end smartphone. It doesn't have a
well-stocked app store either, although some essentials like WhatsApp,
Facebook, Twitter and Plants Vs. Zombies are available.
It's probably not going to be a huge issue that a lot of
data-hungry apps aren't available, as the Asha 501 uses only 2G
networks. You won't be able to make use of faster 3G data, and
lightning-fast 4G speeds will only be a fevered dream for 501 owners.
Sending a quick Tweet should be doable, but don't try and attach photos
or videos unless you want to wait. Nokia explained that 2G networks are
still the most commonly used in countries such as India where the 501 is
aimed, so it's perhaps not as big a deal as it first seems.
Storage
comes in the form of a 4GB SD card, which you can swap out for a bigger
one if you like. It'll also be available in either a single- or
dual-SIM version should you want to keep two SIM cards on board for
easier data roaming. Nokia wouldn't say what processor is part of the
package -- we know it's not going to be anything impressive -- but it
seemed reasonably capable of providing smooth navigation through the OS.
Outlook
With its low-end specs, down-market price, and 2G connectivity, the
Nokia Asha 501 really isn't aimed at those of you who crave the
Samsung Galaxy S4 or
HTC One.
Instead, it's aimed squarely at developing markets like India and Latin
America. It's cheap price and sturdy build quality might make it a
reasonable option to pick up as an emergency festival phone, though.
Paran Parmeshwaram, Chairman, Sulekha.com
Bangalore:
In new twist to Apple’s patent war on its arch rival Samsung, after a
long lull, the Cupertino giant has asked a judge to force Google to hand
over documents related to its Android operating system, reports
Bloomberg.
Harjaap Singh Mann, MD, Proof of Performance Data
Services Pvt. Ltd. is the founder of Proof of Performance (PoP), He also
won the Economic Times Power of Ideas Initiative 2010.
.