Nokia has announced two budget phones at MWC dubbed as the Nokia 105 and the Nokia 301. The Finnish handset maker claims that the Nokia 105 is the most affordable device till date while the Nokia 301 offers more affordable Internet and email access, and camera experiences inspired by Nokia Lumia smartphones.
Commenting on the launch Stephen Elop, President and CEO Nokia said, "The momentum behind Nokia is gathering pace. The launches today reflect our commitment to broadening our devices and services portfolio to meet the demands of people and businesses around the globe. By offering better experiences at a more affordable price we are reinventing the battle for affordable mobile devices, and Nokia has the building blocks to win."
The Nokia 105 boasts a bright colour screen with clear menus and other features such as FM radio, multiple alarm clocks, speaking clock; a dust and splash-proof, pillowed key pad and a flashlight.
The key highlight of the Nokia 105 is its battery that promises upto to 35-day battery life also make it ideal for people seeking a back-up device. During the live demo at the event, Nokia lead designer flaunted the device's battery life saying, "The phone has been left on for two weeks, and still has most of its battery life. You can charge this phone once a month."
He also mentioned during the live demo that the Nokia 105 and 301 phones reiterate Nokia's strengths: durability, design, and camera.
The Nokia 105 is available in black and cyan priced at 15 euros sans contract and is expected to be targeted at 2.7 billion people who don't have a cellphone yet. It is planned to start rolling out in Q1 2013 and is expected to be gradually rolled out to China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Vietnam and other markets in Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe.
The Nokia 301, on the other hand, is said to be built on the same design approach as higher end phones, features multiple colours, and can come in single or dual SIM mode. It is said to be a a "high-performing, classic 3G phone".
The device comes with the Nokia Xpress Browser preloaded for up to 90 percent more data efficiency. It is being touted as "the most affordable Nokia device to offer video streaming" and also comes with new smart camera features, inspired by the digital camera lenses on the Nokia Lumia smartphones.
The 301 camera will have "Sequential shot," which takes 3-5 pictures in a row. There's a simple self portrait assistant with voice integration. It will tell you to move your camera up, down, right, left to center your face for the shot.
It also comes with Nokia Slam, users can share photos via Bluetooth. It's an easy way to share photos and other files to other basic phones. You don't need to pair on Bluetooth, and it works with other non-Nokia phones.
The Nokia 301 will be available in cyan, black, magenta, yellow and white for a recommended price of 65 euros. It will begin rolling out in Q2 2013 and is expected to be available in more than 120 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, Middle East and Latin America.
Apart from these, the company also announced the
Lumia 520 and Lumia 720 devices and mentioned that the HERE suite comprising HERE Maps, HERE Drive and HERE Transit would become available for non-Nokia Windows Phone smartphones in selected markets.
MWC 2013 in pictures