Nokia (NOK 3.60%) will launch its new Asha 501 smartphone next month, the company announced today. The 501 is the first phone on Nokia's new Asha smartphone platform, and is geared toward consumers looking to upgrade from feature phones.
Nokia said the Asha 501 has high-end design and quality, and will come with the following features:
- A durable, removable casing
- 3-inch touchscreen display
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- 3.2 Megapixel camera
- 4GB memory card
- Up to 48 days of standby time and 17 hours of talk time
- 40 Electronic Arts games
The phones will also come with Nokia's Xpress browser, which compresses Internet data by up to 90% in order to make Web browsing faster and less expensive on data plans. The company suggests pricing of $99 before taxes and subsidies. The new phone will have access to the Nokia Store, where users can download and purchase apps. Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president of mobile phones at Nokia, said, "The new Nokia Asha 501 raises the bar for what is possible in affordable smartphone design and optimization."
The Asha 501 will start shipping in June 2013 from 60 operators in 90 countries worldwide.
