Nokia Asha 501 Smartphone Makes Colourful Sales Debut

Nokia announced that the Nokia Asha 501, the first of a new generation of smartphones to run on the new Asha Platform, will start selling this week in Pakistan. The new device will roll out in subsequent weeks across countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

"The new Nokia Asha 501 helps people quickly access everything they love with just a simple swipe," said TimoToikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. "Coupled with beautiful design, it's a smartphone with both style and substance, offered at a great price."

The suggested retail price for the Nokia Asha 501 is 99 USD before taxes and local subsidies.

Standout colour and design:
The Nokia Asha 501 is available in a choice of six striking colours: cyan, bright red, yellow, bright green, black and white*. Its seamless design comes in just two parts: a durable, removable shell and the scratch-resistant, tempered glass display. The compact, easy-to-use Nokia Asha 501 weighs only 98 grams, for the ultimate in portability.

Fast, intuitive user interface:
The Nokia Asha 501 works with just a simple swipe. Swipe unlocks the phone, closes apps and is used to shift between two screens: 'Home' and 'Fastlane'. Home makes full use of the three-inch capacitive touch screen, displaying a traditional application launcher. Fastlane is the second screen that adapts to display recent activity on the phone as well as upcoming events, helping people multi-task. Fastlane also supports social integration with Facebook and Twitter, by allowing people to post directly from within Fastlane.

Instant access to apps and more:
The new Asha comes with the Nokia Xpress Browser pre-loaded, which compresses Internet data by up to 90%, making mobile browsing faster and more affordable. People can enjoy a world of entertainment on the Nokia Asha 501, including pre-installed social apps like Facebook and Twitter; chat services like Line, Nimbuzz and WeChat; as well as up to 40 free EA games available to download, such as Plants vs. Zombies. Even more free apps and games are available from Nokia Store, including HERE Maps** and the new Nokia Xpress Now content discovery web app.

Device images are available at http://press.nokia.com/media/616/photo/list/all/nokia-asha-501/.