Nokia Asha 501

The Asha 501 is the latest member of Nokia’s Asha line and will be introduced in several colors including red, green, yellow, cyan, black and white. Staying true to its affordable standard, the new Asha 501 packs basic specs you need to communicate with friends and family. It has a small 3-inch QVGA capacitive touchscreen panel, scratch resistant screen, 320 x 240 resolution, microSD card support up to 32GB (4GB included in the package), 3.2MP camera with no flash, dual micro-SIM with hot-swappable feature, 2G (no 3G support), WiFi, Bluetooth and a physical “back” button on the front.

While the technical attributes were very basic, Nokia is proud on the 501′s new Asha platform. It is an open-source platform catering to developers to create several apps and make money through Nokia Store. Some of the popular apps in the pipeline are Facebook, CNN, eBuddy, LinkedIn and Twitter; games from developers like EA, Gameloft and Namco Bandai are accessible as well. Pre-loaded software like the Nokia Xpress Browser, built for faster mobile browsing and Nokia Xpress Now, which recommends topic based on location and preferences, are installed on the 501.

The Nokia Asha 501 will be offered internationally starting next month for just $99 (BHD 38).