Nokia launches the Asha 303 Touch & Type handset in India.

While making big waves in the high-end smartphone bracket with their Windows Phone 7 Lumia Series, Nokia has not forgotten their fans in the budget segment. Still catering to the low-budget mobile using community, Nokia’s ever-loving Symbian S40 platform is very much alive and kicking and the latest in that line is the Nokia Asha 303. The 303 is the latest in Nokia’s Touch & Type smartphone segment and also incorporates a full QWERTY keypad. The Asha 303 has been designed for optimal web browsing, social networking, entertainment and gaming.

The Asha 303 is equipped with a 1GHz processor and will come pre-loaded with apps and games, like Angry Birds Lite, Mobile TV with Zenga TV, WhatsApp, along with DRM-free Nokia Music Unlimited service. Nokia centric options, like Nokia Messaging and the Nokia Store, the one stop shop for application related handset enhancements are also on board, of course. The smartphone will also feature Nokia’s upgraded browser for a slightly better web experience than previous editions.

Speaking at the launch, Viral Oza, Director Marketing, Nokia India said, “Nokia has been bringing smart innovation on mobile devices to newer price points, feeding the vast appetite for digital consumption for consumers who are young, urban, hyper-social and want the smartest phones at affordable prices. The Nokia Asha 303, loaded with Nokia Browser, Webapps, preinstalled Zenga TV, Whatsapp and Angry Birds Lite, stands very strong as an affordable smartphone.”

Here’s a closer look at the Asha 303’s spec sheet -

2.6-inch touchscreen display (capacitive) with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution and 256k colors
3G, EDGE/GPRS, Wi-Fi internet connectivity options
Bluetooth with A2DP, USB 2.0 with USB-on-the-go support as well
3.2MP fixed focus camera with face recognition
FM radio
MicroSD card support up to 32GB
3.5mm handsfree socket

The DRM-free Nokia Music Unlimited service allows consumers to download music from a catalogue of over 40 lakh songs and share it with anyone they want, without any restrictions. Consumers can also enjoy live mobile TV with Zenga TV, one of the leading providers of aggregated TV, entertainment and news content optimized for viewing on mobile screens.

Available in Red and Graphite colors , the Nokia Asha 303 is priced at Rs.8,899.