Nokia Asha 501

“In the end of the day Nokia Asha 501 brings a number of features on a bargain price, which combined with its fresh look and solid build quality is bound to attract a large number of customers on a tight budget. At this point though, it's flying way too close to smartphone territory to be comfortable - it's up to Nokia to fix that with a price cut and set things right.”

“Nokia is selling the Asha 501 at a retail price south of $100 contract-free. As low as that sounds, at this price there is already a number of Android device like the Samsung Galaxy Pocket with better functionality. If you want the most apps and possibilities, an affordable Android phone would be a much better fit. Still, you have to appreciate the effort Nokia has put into making the Asha 501 a fun and easy to use device. The vibrant colors and interchangeable back covers, the dual SIM option and the swipe-based interface all come together for a nice experience and the addition of Nokia’s HERE maps is a welcome bonus.”

“If it's given a suitably low price, the Asha 501 will fulfil the role of a very basic smartphone. However, given how superior Nokia's range of Windows Phone handsets is – in particular the affordable Nokia Lumia 520 – we think most people will be willing to pay the premium.”

“The Nokia Asha 501 is definitely good in some departments but disappoints in some. If we consider the price of the device and the features that it brings, it is overall a very good deal.For those looking to buy a feature phone that delivers a smartphone-like experience, the Nokia Asha 501 is a decent package. One thing that surprised us was that both the SIM slots supported Micro-SIM, which may be an inconvenience for some. Overall, the Asha 501 scores well in terms of design, user-interface and build quality.”