New Nokia Asha 501, Specs and Price in Pakistan

Nokia Asha 501 Price in Pakistan

Update: 27 Oct, 2014
Rs. 6,000

Nokia Asha 501 Review

i. Introduction

The 21st century is the post modern era of scientific and technological advancement and the launch of various devices (smart-phones) has become an everyday phenomenon. Here comes such a marvel of modern times in the form of Nokia Asha 501 that, besides containing a number of previously developed features, is also furnished with some innovative functions that you might have experienced never before. However, like all the post modern gadgets available in the market around you, it has no exemption from pros and cons, i.e. some of its features may appeal you while others not.

With the standby battery support of 1152 hours, the new invention in the series of Nokia Asha smart-phones has been announced in the present month, and is expected to be launched soon, i.e. in June, 2013!

ii. The All New OS

The operating system installed in this gadget is not a traditional one. Though introduced for the second time, it is provided with brand new features that are regarded as superior to Android OS, viz. Nokia Asha Software Platform 1.0. It is an updated and highly finished version of the Linux family of operating systems that is also being supplied with other advanced devices of the giant manufacturing firm of Finland.

iii. The Latest Addition of Apps

Some of the latest features include 48 days standby battery support, easy and fast social network apps, photo editor, new swipe-based UI, and so on. The new interface shows close resemblance with that of Nokia F9 and has a twin-pane homescreen. You can switch between either of the views simply by swiping across the capacitive touchscreen. With Nokia Asha 501, you can instantly get access to the social networks and exchange information with your relations.

iv. Display

Though fairly good, the display quality is not as good as that of other advanced features and may prove to be one of its negative points. As you see, the size is just 240×320 pixels with the pixel density of about 133 ppi and the multitouch screen supports up to 2 fingers.

v. The Most Pronounced Features

  • The 48 days standby battery timing is just marvelous and makes Asha 501 beyond comparison with other competitive devices.
  • A good news for the fans of Nokia devices is that it comes with as many as six brilliant colors, viz. bright green, bright red, white, black, cyan and yellow, so as per you taste and inclination, you can go for any of these appearances.
  • Along with the internal memory of 128 MB, it is also provided with microSD card slot that can support up to 32 GB of storage.
  • With 3 inches screen size, dual SIM support, loud speaker, MP4 & MP3 player and FM Radio, it will best suit the needs of music lovers, especially those who cannot afford much costlier cell phones.
  • Yet something very appealing is that, contrary to the usual practice of the mobile phone manufacturing companies, the card slot is not kept here empty; it is already provided with 4 GB memory card.
  • Reaching up to the rate of 85 kbps per second data transfer on GPRS and 337 on EDGE, it also supports WLAN and instant Bluetooth connectivity with surprising audio, video or data file transfer rate.
  • Owing to the feature of predictive text input, you can write messages easily and quickly and send them to your friends’ circle and the loved ones by utilizing a number of available options, viz. E-mail, IM, MMS and SMS (threaded view).
  • The scratch resistant glass screen of the handset, will not only protect its LCD against damage, but also will keep your device shining and look elegant all the time.
  • The multi-touch screen and the swipe motion will enable you switch between any applications of your choice quite easily and in the spur of a moment.
  • The dimensions are such that they can comfortably and firmly fit into your palm, i.e. 3.91, 2.28 and 0.48 inches are the length, width and height (or breadth), respectively.
  • For the ease of carrying it, the weight is just 98.2 gram.
  • Video recording 3.1 MP primary camera with 2048×1536 pixels can yield you much finer results as compared to the devices that were released earlier in the series.

vi. The Price Factor

At the scheduled date of its arrival in Africa, Latin America and India, it is planned to be priced $99 that may seem to be high and unaffordable for some. However, when you talk of its comparatively appealing features and their unique blend in the single device, you are very likely to render it appropriate.

vii. What is absent?

i) However, there is no secondary camera available on the device and you have to rely just on the primary one.

ii) There is no GPS (Global Positioning System) facility that you can easily find in modern smartphones.

iii) Another limitation of Nokia Asha 501 is that it does not support 3G or 4G, but only 2G network that may not appeal to most of the users.

viii. Bottom Line

After having read the advantageous features and the shortcomings, now you must be in a position to make the decision yourself concerning whether to try it or not. However, the benefits dominate over its weak points, particularly, 48 days standby time, dual DIM, provision of 4 GB memory card, and more!

Nokia Asha 501 Specifications

Announced/Release Date

  • Announced May, 2013
  • Status Available. Released 2013, July

Internet Functions

  • Facebook Yes
  • Youtube Yes
  • Google Search Yes
  • Twitter Yes
  • Browser WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML

Connectivity Features

  • USB (Universal Serial Bus) Yes, microUSB v2.0
  • Bluetooth Connection Yes, v3.0 with EDR
  • GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) 85.6 kbps
  • EDGE 236.8 kbps
  • WLAN For Connecting Internet Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
  • NFC (Near Field Communication) No
  • 3G (Speed) No

Battery Type And Timing

  • Battery Li-Ion 1200 mAh battery (BL-4U)
  • Stand-by Time (Approx.) 1152 Hours (Single SIM) / 624 Hours (Dual SIM)
  • Talk Time (Approx.) 17 Hours
  • Music Play Time 56 Hours

Hardware And Memory

  • OS (Operating System) Nokia Asha software platform 1.0
  • CPU Capacity No
  • Chipset No
  • GPU For Graphics No
  • Internal Memory 128 MB
  • External Memory microSD, up to 32 GB, 4 GB card included
  • RAM and ROM 64 MB RAM

Network Coverage And SIM Info

  • 2G Network GSM 900 / 1800 - RM-899 850 / 1900 - RM-900, GSM 900 / 1800 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 - RM-902
  • 3G Network No
  • 4G Network No
  • SIM Type Mini-SIM (Optional Dual SIM/Dual Stand-by)

Body Structure And Style

  • Display Type TFT Capacitive Touchscreen
  • Display Size 3.0 Inches, 240 x 320 pixels
  • Body Weight 98.2 g
  • Body Dimensions 99.2 x 58 x 12.1 mm
  • Colors Bright Red, Bright Green, Cyan, Yellow, White and Black

Camera And Multimedia

  • Backside Camera (Primary) 3.15 MP, 2048x1536 pixels
  • Frontside Camera (Secondary) No
  • Photo Editor Yes
  • Video Recording Quality Yes,QVGA@15fps
  • Audio Player Support MP3/WAV/WMA/AAC player
  • Video Player (File Types) MP4/H.263/WMV player
  • Radio FM Radio
  • 3.5mm jack Yes
  • Loudspeaker Yes

Business Features

  • Document Editor No
  • MS Word Support No

Nokia Asha 501 Features

  • 3 Inches Scratch-resistant Glass Screen
  • Nokia Asha software platform 1.0 Operating System
  • 98.2 g Weight
  • 2 finger multitouch
  • Nokia Xpress Now app./SNS apps
  • Quick Access to the favorites
  • Available in 6 Bold Colors
  • Optional Dual SIM/Dual Stand-by
  • Accelerometer and proximity Sensors
  • MIDP 2.1 Java