Counterclockwise: remembering the not-quite-smartphone Asha phones

14 January 2018
Smartphone goodies at featurephone prices was the promise, but it turned sour in just two years.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • 7Xb
  • 13 Nov 2022

After the success of the N-series, the succeeding phones already brought Nokia to its last breath. It feels like everything's just the same, and that was the time when people can start using apps from the playstore which eventually grew in number - one thing you can't do with their phones. The camera is awful as well. Imagine having great cameras from the N-series to 3.2MP or 5MP fixed focus cameras? It was a total downgrade. Missing those days when Nokia was the leader of Innovation.

    I do remember seeing the Asha 302 in stores for quite sometime. I do regret not picking it up back then. I'd love to find one in good condition, and move back to full QWERTY. The S40 OS is still brilliant and easy-to-use.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • nx1
      • 15 Oct 2018

      The Asha line was one of the best things Elop brought to Nokia - they did go on to sell very strongly in many developing countries, it certainly was not a failure

        Release qwerty keypad phone with oreo go under $100 .
        I wish someone make blackberry touch 9800 with oreo go.

          • A
          • Asha Fan
          • 3Ai
          • 22 Jan 2018

          Anonymous, 21 Jan 2018There is no "we are going backward" ... using older tech do... moreLol i agree it was obviously a joke...

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • nCb
            • 21 Jan 2018

            Asha Fan, 16 Jan 2018And as we are going backwards Your next comment will arriv... moreThere is no "we are going backward" ... using older tech does not mean we are going backward, that person who enjoy old tech is not forcing you or anyone to abandon the new tech.

            "We" are not a club or clan, we don't need to use the same tech, every one have a choice, let them be.

              • A
              • AdamBoy64
              • Fv4
              • 17 Jan 2018

              kamdis, 16 Jan 2018Mark my words: "classic digital life style is on its way",... moreI am reading in the news more about the detrimental effects that smartphone usage is having on society as a whole, and it does make me wonder whether there will be - even just a small segment of the market - swing back towards featurephones.

                • A
                • Asha Fan
                • HB3
                • 16 Jan 2018

                kamdis, 16 Jan 2018Mark my words: "classic digital life style is on its way",... moreAnd as we are going backwards
                Your next comment will arrive here with messenger pigeons...

                  • k
                  • kamdis
                  • R5f
                  • 16 Jan 2018

                  Mark my words:
                  "classic digital life style is on its way", guess we can see the retro OEMs back in style, like nokia 6600, N-series, moto razr series, even fold clamshells will be welcome, and can see the walkman series of sony erricsson with its magical themes,

                  who knows even an apple iphone will be starting on featurephones with more grandeur

                  "
                  old is classic and retro is new digital theme

                  "

                  all folks waiting like minded

                    • I
                    • IVAN3107
                    • kfi
                    • 16 Jan 2018

                    What nokia should do is reinvent the Nokia E Series (E-71) that phone was perfect for business it even had 3G and Wifi along wiht a Qwerty keyboard. Those functions coupled with 4GB ram and 64gb memory would knock the Blackberry Keyone out of the market.

                      • A
                      • AdamBoy64
                      • Fv4
                      • 16 Jan 2018

                      Anonymous, 15 Jan 2018Got many of smartphones from my life- androids, even iphone... moreWell said. Here's to BlackBerry's future success.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • pEr
                        • 15 Jan 2018

                        Got many of smartphones from my life- androids, even iphones, but blackberry is best for my of the physical keyboard. Have Passport and Samsung S6 as daily driver for calls and sms and S6 for browsing and more heavy games, but in future I'm waiting for Keyone successor. Today I cant imagine my life without physical keyboard, virtual keyboard despite how it's accurate it's not competative as physical. That's why Keyone has so much success, i my opinion.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • YP9
                          • 15 Jan 2018

                          Anonymous, 14 Jan 2018I'm still looking for not-so-smatphone with a good camera, ... moreYou're not alone!

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • YP9
                            • 15 Jan 2018

                            The variety in handsets back then was so much better. Would buy a dumb qwerty with a 4:3 screen, decent camera and a week/month long battery life in a heart beat. As long as it supports micro sd cards and boasts and a decent mp3 player that is

                              • D
                              • AnonD-441601
                              • SH3
                              • 15 Jan 2018

                              Memories.
                              Phone was like a Blackberry.
                              I wonder how they could be if they becomes revived after 10 years.

                                • I
                                • Ionix
                                • NvY
                                • 15 Jan 2018

                                I can say it's one of the phones I hated the most back then. 1st I found the name Asha ugly for a phone. Then it didn't have WiFi. It was already outdated by even 2008/2009 Nokias like the 5800. It was irrelevant & even back then u could get cheaper Android phones than the Asha. And it had no smartphone os, no decent camera or anything. That's why it failed. U could get the LG L3 for cheaper I think at that time!

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-598677
                                  • IVE
                                  • 15 Jan 2018

                                  i still got my asha 302, currently use by my mom, bought on 2012, often falling down and got kick by myself to the toilet accidentally , still in great shape and working like charm ,only the silver glossy side start to faded and the battery still last for 3 days usage and 1 week for standby mode

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • ib4
                                    • 15 Jan 2018

                                    Still treasure my asha 501.. The fastlane and gesture interface adopted from N9 is far more advanced than android or ios to date.. Hopefully Nokia reintroduce them as an Android laucher

                                      • A
                                      • Anna
                                      • tTd
                                      • 15 Jan 2018

                                      Since 2011 till today, I am using my Nokia E5 with qwerty keyboard as daily driver for calls/text only. Symbian S60 was the best OS back then.

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-687126
                                        • vam
                                        • 14 Jan 2018

                                        Fine. Keyboards, low spec and cheap. That's fine for the right market. But it's got to be Android. Android One?

                                        You need your basic chat apps. WhatsApp, WeChat, Line... whatever the local market wants. And you can't be writing apps for your specific little product line. We've learnt that now.