Nokia has unveiled two new devices in its budget-priced Asha lineup. The Asha 308 and 309 are Nokia’s most affordable touchscreen smartphones, pairing entry-level features with an unsubsidized retail price below $100 USD.
Both models integrate a 3.0-inch WQVGA touchscreens, FM receivers, microSD slots and 2G radios. The Asha 309 is a single-SIM phone with Wi-Fi, while the Asha 308 drops Wi-Fi in favor of a second SIM slot that can be accessed without removing the battery or turning off the phone.
The interface resembles a custom Android overlay, however the operating system is Nokia’s own proprietary platform. Users can take advantage of basic smartphone functionality, including web browsing, social networking apps, games, video streaming, and messaging.
Nokia has struggled to gain traction in the high-end smartphone market, where it has embraced Windows Phone in an attempt to gain market share against the iPhone and Android-based handsets, however the company still relies on sales from low-priced devices that prove more popular in many overseas markets.
The Asha 308 and 309 are expected to ship in the fourth quarter.
