Nokia Asha 501: Is it the best mid-range phone?

Nokia unveiled a new mid-range phone Asha 501 based on a new operating system, called Asha platform, and design inspired by Lumia series. Asha 501 is priced at $99 (Rs 5,360) excluding taxes.

The phone competes with Samsung's Rex series and aims to prevent customers from switching to Google's Android when they upgrade from a mid-range phone to a smartphone.

According to Reuters, Asha 501 will start shipping in June, and will be available through around 60 operators and distributors in over 90 countries.

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The phone sports a 3-inch touch screen and a 3.2 MP rear camera. Asha 501 supports only 2G network and comes with Wi-Fi connectivity. According to reports a 3G version, too, is underway.

The phone has a flash memory of 128 MB. Nokia said that it will bundle 4 GB memory cards with the phone.

Nokia claims that the battery is good enough to provide a 17 hours talk time. The standby time for the phone is up to 48 days for single SIM version and 26 days for dual SIM.

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The phone sports a feature called Fastlane. This feature keeps a track of the last 50 activities the user has performed, giving access to most used programmes quickly.

The phone does not have a lock button. It wakes up with a double tap  on the home screen.

Nokia claims that accessing internet on the new phone is much faster with its cloud-compression technology that reduces data by up to 90 per cent.

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Straight out of the box, the phone will come loaded with Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging and Weather Channel apps, together with premium games from Gameloft, such as Big Little City and Real Football 2013.

There's also an offer of 40 Free EA Games that the user can download.