I’m sure we all remember the days when Nokia was dominating
the Tech Headlines with their extensive range of stylish and ground breaking
mobile phones. That was till 2003 when the mobile phone industry took a detour
in its approach to device design and functionality with Apples release of the
iPhone. The era saw the rise of the Smartphone and consumers began to demand
for mobile phones with more functionality and capabilities. This demand has
also ushered in Android Powered phones and Blackberry devices. Nokia soon saw
its market share in the mobile phone Industry steadily decline. Today Nokia is
seen as the underdog of the mobile phone Industry. Oh! How the mighty have
fallen. Most experts categorise Nokia among the likes of RIM - the Canadian
phone manufacturer who has also seen its market share on a constant decline, and
according to speculations maybe on the verge of bankruptcy. RIM has bet all its
chips on the Blackberry 10 OS and the phones and tablets that will run it, but I
digress.
Nokia may be down but it’s far from out, and that’s what the
Finnish mobile legend is intent on proving to the world. Nokia has been trying
to compete in the smartphone market with its vast range of feature and high-end
smartphones.
Nokia’s Asha range of
mobile phones are feature phones that just about match up to basic entry level
android smartphones, these devices usually have a significantly low price point
but run on Nokia’s Series 40 Asha platform, while the Lumia range of
smartphones are high-end Windows powered devices, in the same ranks and the
Samsung Galaxy model phones and Apple’s iPhone.
So here’s the scoop, the Asha 311 is a touchscreen device
with a 3 inch screen and 56K colour pallet. It has 140MB of user accessible
memory upgradeable up to 32GB via microSD card. It’s got a 3.2MP camera and it
runs on the Series 40 Asha OS which supports Java and Series 40 web apps. You
get the standard mid-range connectivity options such as 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
It does have multitouch and a Corning Gorilla Glass screen, features usually
reserved for high-end smartphones. Let’s not forget its rather flaunted data
compression feature that shrinks transmitted data size resulting is faster
loading Apps. With the Asha 311 you’ll get a pick of 40 EA games titles ranging
from ‘ports’ of FIFA 12 to Need For Speed: The Run to The Sims. You’ll also get
the regulars like Angry Birds, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
But however you look at it the Series 40 App offerings are light-years
away from that of Androids Google PLAY and Apples App store. Another downside
is it doesn’t have Adobe flash support which leaves you with a limited browsing
experience and with only a 3.2MP camera without a flash these pitfalls tilts
the Asha 311 into the low performance market, that said I’m not sure where to
place the Asha 311.
As a feature phone it
could easily be said to be the best in the world, bit its NGN 19,000 (Nineteen
Thousand Naira) price tag bumps it out of the feature phone spectrum and into
the low-end Smartphone realm. Today you could get an Android Smartphone within that
price range, and the Android platform has a world of Apps enriching your mobile
experience in comparison to the series 40 platform. In my opinion the Asha 311
looks like a Smartphone, acts like a Smartphone but sadly it’s not. I don’t see
the younger crowd that its marketing has been targeting in Nigeria readily
adopting it because of these pitfalls. The free games offered are a quaint novelty
but hardly an incentive. I feel this novelty will quickly wear off as the Asha
311’s short comings become apparent.
I would only recommend this device to individuals who refused
to get on the Smartphone bandwagon, but need a device that can keep up with the
times. Come to think about it, I think I have an aunt this would be perfect
for, thank goodness it comes in pink!
So what do you think? Is the Asha 311 a Hit? Or is it a
Miss? Don’t be bashful let you voice be heard in the comment section below, and
remember every time you leave comment a household brand is saved from bankruptcy!
No comments:
Post a Comment