Nokia Asha Range Extended With Affordable 308 And 309

Nokia has added two new handsets to its affordable Asha phone range, the Nokia Asha 309 and the dual-SIM Nokia Asha 308.

The Finnish manufacturer claims that the feature phones will deliver a full smartphone experience without the associated data costs and short battery life.

Nokia estimates that the Asha 308 and 309 will start shipping in the fourth quarter of 2012 and estimates that the retail price will be around $99. It adds that this price means that they are the most affordable capacitive touchscreen devices ever released.

Nokia Asha

The 2G-enabled phones boast a three-inch WQVGA display, multiple home screens and support for a MicroSD card of up to 32GB. The Asha 309 is single SIM with Wi-Fi, while users of the Asha 308 can switch SIMs without turning the phone off or taking out the battery.

The Asha range was first introduced last October and is aimed at emerging markets where fixed Internet connections are scarce. A new version of the cloud-based Nokia Xpress browser aims to limit data charges by offering 90 percent more efficient browsing.

“Our innovative Asha Touch family of devices is designed for people who want a great smartphone experience with lower running costs,” said Timo Toikkanen, executive vice president, Mobile Phones, Nokia. “By introducing the Nokia Asha 308 and Nokia Asha 309, we’re expanding our affordable smartphone lineup and bringing new mobile experiences to more people.”

The company unveiled three new Asha touchscreen phones back in June, the Nokia Asha 305, 206 and is hoping to revive its fortunes in the smartphone market with the launch of the Windows Phone 8-based Lumia 920.

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