Nokia continues to expand its Asha Touch series of phones with two new additions, the dual-SIM Asha 308 and the Asha 309. The Finnish handset maker claims that these new devices are its most affordable capacitive touchscreen devices till date. They are priced at $99 (excluding taxes) and are expected to ship in the fourth quarter this year.
The new devices claim to offer a fluid 'swipe' user interface and an open environment for third-party application development. Both Nokia Asha 308 and 309 are 2G-enabled devices featuring a 3-inch WQVGA capacitive display with multiple home screens, FM radio, loud speakers, 1110mAh battery and 64MB internal storage with up to 32GB microSD card support.
The Nokia Asha 309 is the single SIM variant with additional Wi-Fi support, while the Asha 308 is a dual-SIM device (Bluetooth only) featuring Nokia's Easy Swap technology that enables users to switch between multiple SIM cards quickly and easily without having to remove the battery or turn off the phone.
The phones also come with 40 premium EA games, Facebook and Twitter integration, the Nokia Messaging Service and video streaming through the browser from sites like YouTube, a first within the Asha Touch range.
Apart from the new Asha devices, Nokia also released a new version of the Nokia Xpress Browser, which offers up to 90% more efficient mobile browsing and faster access to rich web applications compared to conventional browsers.
Nokia also introduced the Nokia Life+ web app that allows users to access content ranging from education and health to infotainment as well. Nokia Life+ is available in English across 18 countries, with local versions coming to India, China and Indonesia in the fourth quarter of this year. Nokia Life+ can be accessed through the Nokia Xpress Browser or the Nokia Store.
Additionally, the Nokia Nearby web app also debuted that helps people discover new places by searching nearby locations and presenting the options on a map. The service is available via the Nokia Xpress Browser or as a feature within Nokia Maps.
The company also launched the Nokia Xpress Web App Builder, a new web-based tool that makes it even easier to build new applications. Publishers can use this tool to create web apps for Asha Touch devices and even novices can turn their web content into a fun and sophisticated web app for Nokia consumers.
The Nokia Asha 308 and Nokia Asha 309 will support the new services, amongst other Asha Touch phones and promise to deliver a full smartphone experience enriched with new web services and developer tools.
Recently launched Asha Touch phones by Nokia include the
Asha 305 and 311 smartphones. The Nokia Asha 305 is a dual-SIM phone with a 3-inch WQVGA resistive touchscreen, Bluetooth, 2MP camera and comes pre-loaded with Nokia Maps. Nokia Asha 305 carries a price tag of Rs. 5,029.
The Nokia Asha 311 has a 3-inch WQVGA capacitive touchscreen, 1GHz processor, 3.2MP camera and also comes pre-installed with Nokia Maps. Nokia Asha 311 also comes with a 15 level pre-bundled version of Angry Birds. This smartphone retails for Rs. 7,139.
Nokia Asha 308 key specifications- Nokia OS
- 3-inch WVGA capacitive touch display with 400x240 pixel resolution
- Dual-SIM
- 2MP camera
- Bluetooth 3.0connectivity
- 1110mAh
- 64MB internal storage, expandable upto 3GB via microSD
- FM Radio with RDS
Nokia Asha 309 key specifications- Nokia OS
- 3-inch WVGA capacitive touch display with 400x240 pixel resolution
- 2MP camera
- WiFi and Bluetooth
- 1110mAh
- 64MB internal storage, expandable upto 3GB via microSD
- FM Radio with RDS
Nokia Asha 305 and Asha 311 launched