Nokia Asha 501 Unboxing

Nokia Asha 501

Nokia Asha 501 was released last June and just recently its successors were announced at the Nokia World in Abu Dhabi UAE. The 501 is a dual-SIM dual standby phone running on Nokia Asha 1.0 platform.

Key Specs:

• Dual SIM Dual Standby (micro SIM)
• Dual Band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• 3.0-inch TFT capacitive QVGA touchscreen display (320x240), 2-point multi-touch
• Nokia Asha 1.0 Platform
• 64MB of RAM
• 128MB of internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via micro SD (Free 4GB)
• 3.15MP main camera, QVGA video recording
• Bluetooth v3.0
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
• Micro USB 2.0
• 3.5mm audio jack
• FM Radio
• Sensors: Proximity and Accelerometer
• 1200mAh Li-Ion Battery

 Main Disadvantages:

• No 3G
• Low resolution screen
• Low resolution camera

Retail Package

The retail package covers the basics, it includes the unit, battery, old generation pin hole charger, a wired headset, 4GB of free micro SD card, warranty card and manual.

Box

Charger

Wired Headset

Warranty Card

Manual

The retail package does not include a USB cable, I mentioned this because the micro USB port also works as a charging port.

Front

The front has the 3-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, there are ample bezels on all sides. The screen has only QVGA resolution which is quite low for any standard.

Above the display you will see the Nokia branding and above that is the earpiece. Below the display you can find the hardware back button.

Back

The back cover extends to the sides up to the front, this design makes it feel solid to touch. The drawback is, you need to remove it when you want to access the hot-swappable micro SD card and the easy-switch SIM 2.


The back is made of plastic and has a matte-like finish which makes it resistant to smudges and fingerprints. It houses the 3.5MP fixed focus camera, the Nokia logo together with the knob which helps you to push out the back cover.

Top

Bottom

The top is busy holding all the ports of the Asha 501, here you can find the pin hole charging port, the micro USB port and the 3.5mm audio jack while the bottom has nothing on it.

Left

Right

The controls can be found on the right side, the volume rocker and the power button below it which also lock/unlock your device (alternatively you can just double tap on the screen to wake it up).

Overall the Nokia Asha has a refreshing (Lumia inspired) design compared to its predecessors. The bright colors also add up to its look.

On the software side, those who are familiar with Meego O/S will have no problem coping with its interface. It is by no means hard to learn but those with Meego experience will surely be delighted.