The Nokia Asha 303 was unveiled at Nokia World 2011 and while most of the press were fighting over the Nokia Lumia 800 it gave us some time to focus on this QWERTY smartphone running Series 40. Find out more with our Nokia Asha 303 hands-on preview.
The Nokia Asha 303 builds on the legacy of QWERTY phones, such as the Nokia C3, which is still a huge seller in many parts around the world. However, this new model builds on that ground by using a 2.6-inch touchscreen display, so you can tap into taps as well as move around using the keypad.
Check out the Nokia Asha 303 announcement
The metallic finish of the Nokia Asha 303, gives it a great look and it feels really good in the hand. We didn't get to check out the Nokia Asha 303 in daylight, as we were stuck in the conference centre, but we've been assured the screen is fantastic in daylight.
On the back you'll find a 3.2-megapixel camera, which means you can send decent sized pics without running up phone bills. On the top of the Nokia Asha 303 you'll find a 3.5mm audio jack and also USB connection, so you can share the device with your PC. Battery life is key to the success of the Nokia Asha 303, we were told it will readily last 47 hours of continuous audio playback for example.
We're not sure if this is the first Series 40 phone with a 1GHz processor but you'll find that things really move at a quick pace. So much so that not only will you be able to access apps and files with ease, you'll also be able to play the latest games, even Angry Birds which comes pre-installed on the Nokia Asha 303. As you can see from the photos below, Angry Birds themed accesories are already in the pipe-line, with coloured covers as well as nice carry cases on offer!
Other features under the hood include 3G and Wi-Fi, as well as core apps such as Nokia Browser for accessing the web quickly and cost-effectively. The Nokia Asha 303 weighs in at 97g and should be hitting the streets early in 2012. Final pricing will be dependent on taxes but it's being quoted at 115 Euros, which we think may well be a bargain, no matter you budget.
What do you think of the Nokia Asha 303? Does it offer you enough to give up on your Nokia C3 or similar budget QWERTY phone? Let us know in the Comments below.
Check out our Nokia Asha 303 hands-on preview photo gallery:
