Nokia has just announced its new Asha 205 Smarter Phone (Smarter Phone.. what a shabby name they use to keep it a part of the Windows Phone offering). Nokia's bet is to offer an affordable QWERTY handset to make messaging and connecting through social networks quick and easy (for the very first time, it boasts a dedicated button for access to Facebook).
The Nokia Asha 205 also debuts a new sharing technology from Nokia called "Slam". How does it work? Let’s say you take a picture, choose "Send" and then "Slam", the phone quickly detects the nearest Bluetooth-enabled device and offers that device the file.
The counterpart can accept and download the picture, without any need to pair the two devices, as you have to with regular Bluetooth sharing. Furthermore, it is not required to the owner of the other device to have a Nokia with Slam on it. You can also share using all the normal options like social networks and email.
Here are some of the Asha 205 specifications:
- Single or Dual-Sim*
- System: GSM 850/900/1800/1900,
- Facebook Button
- Nokia Slam, to share content faster and easier
- User Interface: Series 40 Asha
- Dimensions: 113 x 61 x 13mm
- Weight: 94.0g (including battery)
- Display: 2.4-inch 65k colour QVGA landscape QWERTY TFT display
- Camera: VGA
- Memory: Up to 10MB free user memory; up to 32GB micro-SD card
- Connectivity: GPRS/EDGE, 2.0 mm Charger Connector, Bluetooth v2.1 with EDR, 3.5 mm AV connector
- Battery life: impressive 37 days standby / 11 hours talk-time
*The Dual-SIM variant has a lower standby time – 25 days vs. 37 days.
The design is pretty neat, reminding me of the Porsche Design of the BlackBerry P9981, battery life is great and the price is fantastic at only $69 without contract. You can't ask much more for a QVGA, non-touch device powered by an ageing S40 OS but -anyway- this Asha 205 makes for a good 2nd phone and I guess it will sell well in emerging markets.
If only Nokia had a lightweight, streamlined and up-to-date OS to put on its Asha line..
Source: Nokia Asha 205 Product Page