Nokia has just announced the Asha 310 officially, a phone that we already leaked two months ago and that it does not add anything new in the feature phones segment, let alone the smartphone industry. The 310 is quite similar to the previous Asha 309, including a 3" 400x240 display (sic), 2 megapixel camera, WLAN, Bluetooth and FM Radio. The dual-SIM slot lets you swap SIMs without switching off the phone.
The only aspect from this announcement that I can highlight is the misleading advertising that Nokia has posted on its website on using this terminal as a GPS, turn by turn navigation solution. Do not believe me? Have a look at the following picture:
Anyone who sees this picture and reads the footer text will normally think the handset is equipped with a GPS functionality comparable to the competition. But no, Nokia remains committed to not feature a GPS chip (which should cost less than a dollar, btw) in any of their Asha range, maybe not to compete with its Lumia series equipped with Windows Phone.
Not including a Global Positioning System (that's what GPS means, Nokia) it's all right unless the advertising makes you think otherwise. Worst of everything is that it does not seem a mistake, not even an unfortunate publicity. To realize that the phone does not have GPS onboard you must go to the specifications page; click on "see all specifications" and scroll a lot to reach a section that reads:
GPS feature: WLAN Network Positioning
Navigation features and services: Nokia Maps
What the hell? GPS feature? Even here is not clear that the navigation solution is not based on GPS but a rough positioning based on Wireless Networks (I wonder how useful it is, in a car, on the road). Is it that hard to call things by their name?
Anyway, following you'll find the specifications of a hanset that all it does is fill the numbering between the Asha 309 and the 311. A recommendation for the 310? Skip.
Technical Specifications
Performance
- Operating System:
- GSM 900 / 1800 - SIM 1 & SIM 2
- Type: TFT capacitive touchscreen, 65K colors
- Size: 240 x 400 pixels, 3.0 inches (~155 ppi pixel density)
- Size: 109.9 x 54 x 13 mm, 67 cc (4.33 x 2.13 x 0.51 in)
- Weight: 103.7 g (3.63 oz)
- Wireless LAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
- Bluetooth: Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
- GPS: No
- USB: Yes, microUSB v2.0
- Internal: 64 MB (20 MB user available)
- Expansion: microSD, up to 32 GB, 2/4 GB included
- Photo: 2 MP, 1600x1200 pixels
- Front facing camera: No
- Video: Yes, 176x144@10fps
- Li-Ion 1110 mAh battery (BL-4U)
- Stand-by time: Up to 600 h
- Talk time: Up to 17 h