Nokia expands Asha Touch range to offer consumers smarter Internet experience

MANILA, Philippines - Nokia has unveiled the Nokia Asha 309, the latest addition to the Asha Touch family of mobile devices.

The Nokia Asha 309 gives consumers fast Web access at low cost. To create this smarter Internet experience, Nokia released a new version of Nokia Xpress Browser, which enables up to 90 percent more efficient mobile browsing and faster access to rich Web applications compared to conventional browsers.

The new device offers a fluid “swipe” user interface and an open environment for third-party application development, characteristics that have earned the complete Asha Touch range full smartphone classification from global market research companies and analysts such as GfK and IDC.

“Our innovative Asha Touch family of devices is designed for people who want a great smartphone experience with lower running costs,” said Timo Toikkanen, Nokia executive vice president for mobile phones.

“By introducing the Nokia Asha 309, we are expanding our affordable smartphone lineup and bringing a new mobile experience to more people,” Toikkanen said.

Nokia estimates the retail price for the Nokia Asha 309 to be about $99, excluding taxes and subsidies, with shipping expected to start in the fourth quarter.

The Nokia Asha 309 is Nokia’s most affordable capacitive touch-screen device to date.

A view shared by independent analysts is that the Asha line represents great smartphones available for less than $99.

“Nokia’s Asha Touch family delivers all the core smartphone experiences, and with the new software developer kit, provides ever-increasing flexibility for developers to build compelling new experiences for consumers,” said Will Stofega, mobile phone program director of IDC.

The Nokia Asha 309 is a 2G-enabled Wi-Fi device featuring a 3-inch WQVGA capacitive display, multiple home screens, stereo radio, loud speakers, and up to 32GB microSD card support.

The phone also comes with 40 premium EA games, social features such as stand-alone Facebook and Twitter clients, the Nokia Messaging Service, and video streaming through the browser from sites like YouTube — a first within the Asha Touch range.

Its Xpress Browser Internet platform is the only cloud-based Web browser to support Web apps. 

The Nokia Nearby Web app helps people discover new places by searching nearby locations and presenting the options on a map. The service is available via Nokia Xpress Browser or as a feature within Nokia Maps.

In addition to this service, Nokia introduced a new Web-based tool that makes it even easier to build new applications. With Nokia Xpress Web App Builder, publishers can create appealing Web apps for Asha Touch devices, and even novices can turn their Web content into a fun and sophisticated Web app for Nokia consumers.