Home  ›  News  ›

Hands-On: Nokia Asha Series

Article Comments  

Oct 26, 2011, 8:15 AM   by Eric M. Zeman

Nokia also debuted three phones for emerging markets today, the Asha Series. Here are some thoughts on these devices.

source: Nokia

Asha 303

Of the four Asha phones announced today, the Asha 303 is the top-of-the-line. It comes with the best combination of features and quality that feature phone users have come to expect from Nokia. The 303 is an interesting animal in that it combines a touch-based version of Series 40 with a full physical QWERTY keyboard.

The display is capacitive, but I found it to be somewhat unresponsive. It looks a little dull, too, and doesn't hold a candle to the amazing AMOLED display of the 800. The touch-based version of Series 40 is capable, and easier to use than I expected it to be. Nokia has done an admirable job of making it as finger friendly as possible, given the smaller size of the display.

The physical QWERTY keyboard felt pretty good, but fell short of excellent in my opinion. The buttons have a good shape and feel to them, but travel and feedback was too loose. The volume toggle, screen lock, and camera buttons on the right side of the phone felt good to use.

It's clear where the Asha 303 falls in Nokia's line-up. Though it targets a mid-range consumer (with its 1GHz processor and 5-megapixel camera) it is clearly not a flagship phone.

303  

Asha 201/200

The Asha 201/200 are targeted at markets that favor dual-SIM devices, such as those in Africa and India. The materials are cheap, the feel is cheap, and, well, the devices cost just 60 Euro without subsidies. This one lacks a touch screen, but the keyboard is pretty good. The Series 40 user interface worked well, and the phone a solid feel to it without being heavy. Will this phone come to the U.S.? Doubtful, though I could easily see it adorning the shelves of a regional, pre-paid carrier.

201  

About the author, Eric M. Zeman:

Eric has been covering the mobile telecommunications industry for 17 years at various print and online publications. He studied at Rutgers Newark and University of Kentucky, and has a degree in writing. He likes playing guitar, attending concerts, listening to music, and driving sports cars.

more news about:

Nokia
 

Comments

This forum is closed.

This forum is closed.

No messages

 
 
Page  1  of 1

Subscribe to news & reviews with RSS Follow @phonescoop on Threads Follow @phonescoop on Mastodon Phone Scoop on Facebook Follow on Instagram

 

Playwire

All content Copyright 2001-2024 Phone Factor, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Content on this site may not be copied or republished without formal permission.