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Last week Nokia announced that the Nokia Asha 501, the first of a new generation of smart feature phones to run on the new Asha Platform, will be available for purchase across East Africa. The Nokia Asha 501 features distinctively Nokia design, a faster and more intuitive user interface and smarter Internet experiences – all at an affordable price.

The Asha 501 will be available through retailers across East Africa in black, red and yellow, at the following recommended retail prices:

  • Kenya: KES 7,999
  • Uganda: UGX 279,900
  • Tanzania: TZs 179,900

The Nokia Asha 501 is available in a choice of striking colors: cyan, bright red, yellow, bright green, black and white.

The Nokia Asha 501 works with just a simple swipe. Swipe unlocks the phone, closes apps and is used to shift between two screens: ‘Home’ and ‘Fastlane’. Home makes full use of the three-inch capacitive touchscreen, displaying a traditional application launcher. Fastlane is the second screen that adapts to display recent activity on the phone as well as upcoming events, helping people multi-task. Fastlane also supports social integration with Facebook and Twitter, by allowing people to post directly from within Fastlane.

The new Asha comes with the Nokia Xpress Browser pre-loaded, which compresses Internet data by up to 90%, making mobile browsing faster and more affordable. People can enjoy a world of entertainment on the Nokia Asha 501, including pre-installed social apps like Facebook and Twitter; chat services like Line, Nimbuzz and WeChat; as well as up to 40 free EA games available to download, such as Plants vs. Zombies. Even more free apps and games are available from Nokia Store, including HERE Maps and the new Nokia Xpress Now content discovery web app.