Opera has entered into a licensing agreement with Microsoft in order to make its browsers default on all low end phones from the company. The deal specifically applies to mobile phones based on the Series 30+, Series 40 and Asha software platforms.
Continue reading “Opera browser to go default on low end phones from Microsoft”
Nokia has launched few apps across its platforms just in time for Indian Premier League(IPL). With the launch of its new apps, Nokia wants its customers to to get the best of the IPL experience by keeping track of latest scores, listening to commentary, engaging with their favorite players on social platforms and to top it off – watch the match LIVE.
Continue reading “Nokia brings NexGTV for Lumia and Nokia X devices with live streaming of IPL”
We had been showing you photos of the latest devices we unboxed, like the Nokia Asha 502 and the Nokia Lumia 525. Right next in line is the Nokia Asha 503, which is based on the same new design philosophy as the Asha 502 and comes with a really nice frosty iced look for its case. We have the Asha 503 in black, which might not be as photogenic as the Asha 502 but does not look conservative as well. The gloss for the translucent outer shell is something that takes the bland dark look away and introduces some much needed shine. Let us walk you through the hardware and show you how it actually looks in real pictures.
The Nokia Android phone might be like the unobtanium from Pandora but we keep seeing more and more of it these days. Purported images of the Nokia Android Phone have leaked out in the form of UI screenshots, pasted on the infamous Normandy device. Looking very much like a recent Asha phone, the Nokia Normandy shows off its calling UI Viber, the lockscreen and the Skype app, which is very similar to the one on Android. The project is supposedly shelved, as this was rumoured to be a skunkworks thing inside Nokia headed by designer Peter Skillman, who now heads Here, the part that was not bought out by Microsoft during the acquisition. So yet again, we are left wanting for this unattainable device.
Continue reading “Nokia Normandy’s Android UI leaks, leaves us wanting the unattainable”
Nokia is still one of the most loved brands in India, and Indians are quite music loving people. Nokia understood that massive business opportunity few years back and before the competition, launched Nokia OVI Music services globally and in India. Back then Nokia was the only mobile manufacturer invested heavily in Entertainment and Music services in India. Yes, world had Apple iTunes but in India Nokia Ovi Music was the only service with massive tie-ups with majority of Music Labels, Artists, Copyright Owners, etc. Nokia Dropped the OVI branding and their Music services renamed to Nokia Music. Continue reading “Nokia MixRadio – A new refreshed Nokia Music Service”
Way back, when evleaks had leaked the Asha 500 press image(the same one that got announced today), one icon that stood out was that of Whatsapp. The most awaited app on the platform is finally revealed as coming next month with all the new Asha devices announced today at the Nokia World. And yes, it will be coming to the only Asha SW platform based device on the market today too, the Asha 501. I have been personally holding up on recommending the Asha 501 due to the lack of Whatsapp and now it’s a huge sigh of relief that it’s finally here, at least by the next month.
Sriperumbudur, a quiet town outside of Chennai, is now increasingly known for its sprawling automobile factories, electronic SEZs(Special Economic Zones), and of course, hot job opportunities. Several automobile and mobile phone giants are part of this story. It all started 10 years back, when automobile companies like Hyundai saw the proximity to a harbour huge enough to handle exports and set up bases here, quickly gaining this city the name “Detroit of India”.
In the same “Detroit of India” lies one of Nokia’s biggest production facilities. The opportunistic Nokia of the past saw the booming mobile market in India in the 2000s, and started setting up their assembling facility here, right in the heart of Sriperumbudur’s SEZ. The logistics for exports had already become robust, thanks to the omnipresent automobile industry in that area, so the opportunity was ripe.
On a surprisingly overcast day, I was on my second visit to Nokia’s Chennai facility with several other bloggers. Having already witnessed the marvel of a huge production facility the first time, I couldn’t wait to see what new tricks Nokia had up their sleeves. Spoiler: It’s the Nokia Asha 501.
Continue reading “Nokia Asha 501 – Made in India, by India, for India”
The Asha 205 is one of Nokia’s low end offerings that aims to help people with a lower budget experience a glimpse of the various services of the internet, and prepare them for the smartphone onslaught. It can also be a secondary back up device for Smartphone users for its battery life and basic internet connectivity. With a nice QWERTY keyboard aimed at the youth, and with a low price of Rs. 3,475 can it satisfy the budget user? Lets find out.
WeChat, the Instant messenger application from the grand orient, has its aim squarely at Whatsapp for ubiquity in platforms. In that direction, it has announced the availability of the IM app for Nokia’s Asha range of devices. The IM app, which works fairly similar to Whatsapp in terms of functionality, is available for download over the Nokia Store.
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You might have seen a lot of comparisons here lately, mostly dealing with big budget tablets or interesting smartphones, but we never were able to show you how the entry level market was like, especially with so many touch devices in that segment now. These are not smartphones, but they are not dumbphones either. Nokia particularly calls its new range Asha phone smartphones, which most might not agree with, but it has some really good features to talk about. Similarly, Samsung also recently launched its Rex series of devices to combat the Nokia Asha range in a similarly priced market. So, which one is better? Lets find out.
Along with the Asha 501, Nokia also introduced some new gear at the grand event that happened in New Delhi. Amongst the loads of accessories displayed at the event, we spotted some new ones, which includes the Nokia DC-18, a new portable battery pack launched along with the Asha. There was also the BH-118, a mono bluetooth headset with a dock, which looked weird yet useful. The above photo is of the DC-18, of which we have more photos below and the others too.
“The N9 is back!” I exclaimed, when Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop asked some of us bloggers what our first thoughts of the Nokia Asha 501 were. “Doesn’t it feel good?” he said, and we all nodded in unison. Five minutes before that moment, it was a private room full of bloggers, eager to ask questions to the Chief of a company that just made the world know its effort to re-invent the affordable smartphone. What follows below is a summary of our discussion with Stephen Elop and what we learned from it.
Continue reading “Nokia Asha 501 – A discussion with Stephen Elop”
Nokia Asha 501, the company’s latest attempt at out-innovating the low end smartphone market, was launched today in New Delhi and we got some fair play time with the device. Based on the new Nokia Asha platform, the device was previously demoed by Nokia’s Peter Skillman, who led the whole effort of bringing the intuitive N9 UI to the low end. After a healthy hands on time with the device, we can’t withhold ourselves from telling you about this device. But before that, here is a complete overview of the device –
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MgZbZObE7s
Continue reading “Nokia Asha 501 Overview and First Impressions”
Nokia unveiled the Asha 501 at an event in Delhi earlier today. At the launch Nokia has announced that they have partnered with Facebook to offer free Facebook access on Airtel subscribers in Africa and India. Facebook app comes pre-loaded on the Asha 501, apart from range of apps including Foursquare, LinkedIn, Nimbuzz, Twitter and more. Continue reading “Nokia and Facebook partner to offer free Facebook access on Asha 501”
Nokia’s has added some more colour to its Asha family with the new Asha 501 Phone.The new Asha phone is slotted for a price of about Rs.5600 excluding taxes. Nokia has introduced a new design and form factor with the Asha 501 – A full touch screen with no buttons at the bottom except for one back button that sits pretty, right at the bottom. We got a chance speak to Peter Skillman, VP, Mobile Phones User Experience, Design, about the Asha 501 at the launch event. You can check out the video below and also read the full transcript of the interview here.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVKLL8P6Vfo
