The 3-inch hardened glass touch-screen device comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth accessibility, as well as a 3.2-megapixel camera, 4GB of memory, and a battery that boasts up to 48 days of standby time and 17 hours of talktime.
The new Asha operating system offers users the choice of two main screens: Home and Fastlane. Home is just what it sounds like — a traditional, icon-based view for launching apps or accessing features. Fastlane, meanwhile, was built for people who really use their phone — it culls recently accessed contacts, social networks, and apps, providing a sort of "favorites" page for the user.
The Nokia also announced Nokia Xpress Now, its own version of Google Now, which recommends content based on location, preferences, and trending topics — available via the pre-loaded Xpress Browser or as a download from the Nokia Store.
The $99 Asha 501 is expected to start shipping in June across 90 countries in Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Africa from operators like America Movil, Telkomsel, Airtel Africa, and MTN.
