The Nokia Asha 501 is a low cost dual SIM handset that sports a 3 inch screen with QVGA resolution. The handset runs on the Asha OS with Touch UI user interface and supports only the 2G network. It is priced at approx Rs. 5,000.
Nokia 501 Box Pack
The handset is available in Black, White, Yellow, RED and Cyan colors. The sleek blue colored box pack contains the handset, user manual, quick start guide, travel charger, a cool looking bright red colored earphone, battery of 1200 mAh capacity, free Facebook for 3 months for Airtel subscribers and 4GB micro SD card slot.
Design, Display and OS
The moment you hold this handset, you will start loving it. First of all you get the comfort of a well known brand, and then, the build quality and the unique design that will definitely make you happy. You always get this feeling when you look at something new.
The touch screen is 3 inches with a low resolution of 320×240 pixels. The colors are vivid and the touch experience is really – really good. There is a single navigation button that acts as a back button and can also be used to browse through the home screen (today)/ apps (via button or simply swipe the screen).
The Nokia 501 weight with battery is 99 grams, thickness is 12.40mm, breadth is 58.21 and length is 99.32. The finishing and built quality is very good. The back cover is of matte finish and covers up the phone completely up to the screen. (Check the review video). The handset is not slim but looks compact (because of the length).
The volume rockers and the power button are placed on the right side. The charging port, micro USB and 3.5mm audio jack is placed on the top side. This handset with 2 point multi touch comes with accelerometer and proximity sensors. The OS used is Nokia Asha Software platform 1.0 with touch UI. It’s a dual SIM (micro SIM slot) handset with micro SD card slot.
Performance
The performance is smooth, internal storage is 66MB. There are many pre-installed apps including Twitter and Facebook. You can browse the net using the Nokia Xpress browser. You can also download apps from store. For connectivity there is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
GPS and 3G are missing. You can however use the 2G network (GPRS / EDGE) that should be more than sufficient for many users.
Over all it’s a basic phone with 2G support that allows you to stay connected with your social contacts, browse net, check emails, chat and of course enjoy music and videos on the move. The handset supports multitasking you can just swipe the screen to move to another app. It seems whatsapp is not support on Asha 501 for now, could be a big disappointment for many.
Gaming and Entertainment
There are some pre-installed games like the Asphalt 6, those who have played high end games on mobile phones will quickly look for the exit button. As far as gaming is confirmed, don’t expect too much out of it.
There is built in video player with a pre-loaded video file that looked amazing for the handset size and the price.
Camera
The 3.2 MP camera captures decent still images but videos are really no good. You can check the sample images and video at the end. There is no front camera and the rear camera is fixed focus without flash support.
Battery
1200 mAh battery no doubt is impressive with a good talk time of 17 hours and standby time is about 624 hours.
Nokia Asha 501 review
It’s a budget phone for non-android users or those who really don’t care. It does offer good touch experience, is entertaining, can use dual SIMs, supports multiple Indian regional languages (English, Hindi, Gujarati etc..) and is eye catchy. It a very good phone for a price of approx Rs. 5000 from a well known brand, Nokia.
Image Gallery
Sample Images
Nokia Asha 501 unboxing and review video
Sample video (320×240) shot using Nokia 501 handset
[poll id=”79″]