A smart feature phone

A smart feature phone

When smartphones are available in every shape, size and budget, it is difficult to get excited over the launch of a feature phone. However, I was drawn to the Nokia Asha 300 for two reasons. First, it combines touch and type interface. Second, it has a 1GHz processor, which is quite powerful for a feature phone. Though the body is entirely plastic, it has been given a matte finish, which gives it a neat look. Unlike most candy bar phones, the phone has only three physical function buttons. The other functions have been transferred on to the touchscreen. Scrolling up and down a menu or a webpage is done by dragging your finger on the touchscreen. However, the resistive touchscreen would not respond to feather touch swiping, and I had to apply a bit of pressure while using it. This process was made more difficult given the small area of the screen. On the plus side, the home screen is packed with four customisable slots. By default, the top slot shows the time, the second contains favourite contacts, the third carries Facebook and Twitter updates and the fourth has shortcuts to applications. I found the Communities app, which handles your Facebook and Twitter accounts, quite handy. On Twitter, I could easily read and post tweets, check @mentions and send direct messages. The phone also comes preloaded with a few games. I opted for Angry Birds first. Surprisingly, despite the 1GHz processor, the game was jerky. The resistive touchscreen also played spoiler while aiming the birds at the pigs. You can also download several other games and apps at the Ovi store. While it cannot be compared to a smartphone’s app store, it is nonetheless well populated. Since you are going to use the phone to access a lot of online data, the phone supports 3G connectivity. It is a pity, however, that it does not support WiFi, which many would’ve preferred to download apps or music. The Asha 300 carries a price tag of Rs7,406. There are several low-priced smartphones powered by Android in a similar price range. These come with better touchscreens and you have a far greater choice of apps. The Asha 300 will provide a better value for money once it slashes its price by a couple of thousand or more.