Nokia's (NOK -0.81%) new generation of affordable smartphones go on sale this week in Thailand and Pakistan.
Priced at $99 (before taxes and subsidies), the new Asha 501 comes with a new Asha "platform" or operating system. Featuring a new swipe interface called "Fastlane," the phone was built to make it easier to access social networks, games, music, and apps.
Designed with Lumia smartphone color schemes, the phone is another effort by Nokia to make the company's products and marketing consistent, to create a consistent "feel." The Asha 501 comes in cyan, bright red, yellow, bright green, and black-and-white. The company also has interchangeable colored shells.
Next week, Nokia will continue to roll out the device to India. Eventually, the Asha 501 will arrive in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. Late in the summer, the Nokia 501 is planned for sale in Latin America.
Source: Nokia blog.
