GSMArena.com GSMArena.com

Tip us

1.5m
109k
RSS

EV

Merch

Log in

Login

I forgot my password
Sign up
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Featured
  • Phone Finder
  • Deals
  • MerchNew
  • Coverage
  • Contact
ADVERTISEMENTS
GSMArena team, 23 January 2012

King of ordinary


Nokia Asha 300 review: King of ordinary

  • Comments (54)
  • User reviews
  • Asha 300

1. Introduction
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Unboxing, 360-degree spin, design and build quality
  3. 3. User interface
  4. 4. Phonebook, telephony, messaging
  5. 5. Gallery, video and music players, FM radio, audio quality
  6. 6. Camera, image quality, video recording, connectivity
  7. 7. Web browser, organizer, social networking
  8. 8. Store, conclusion
  9.  
  10. Nokia Asha 300 specification
  11. User opinions and reviews
  12. Review comments (54)

Nokia S40 Touch UI

Introduction

The Nokia Asha 300 may not exactly fit in with today’s standards of newsworthy. With smartphones flexing their muscles at venues like CES, sporting ever-expanding app markets, HD screens and multi-core processors, it’s hard to see how an entry-level offering could produce much of a splash.

If, however, price is a factor, or you simply want a phone that is…well, simple, then the Asha 300 could definitely make some waves in your pool. Part of a new line of phones by Nokia, which feature a revamped S40 interface and 1GHz processor, the Asha 300, and its QWERTY sibling, the Asha 303, aim to cement Nokia's place in a market they have traditionally dominated.

Nokia Asha 300 Nokia Asha 300 Nokia Asha 300
Nokia Asha 300 official pictures

The Touch and Type S40 interface is at once the same yet different from the traditional non-smart UI from Nokia. Combined with an app store and a customizable homescreen, there are definitely elements borrowed from smartphones in an attempt by Nokia to extend the functionality while retaining the simplistic feel of the S40. The faster processor and 128MB of RAM are more than sufficient to run the S40 quickly and without hitches.

Key features

  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
  • Quad-band 3G with 10Mbps HSDPA and 2Mbps HSUPA
  • Asha S40 Touch and Type platform
  • 2.4" QVGA 256K-color resistive TFT touchscreen
  • 1GHz processor
  • 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM
  • 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera
  • VGA video recording at 30fps
  • Stereo FM radio with RDS
  • Bluetooth v2.1 (with A2DP)
  • Standard microUSB port (charging enabled)
  • USB On-The-Go support
  • microSD card slot (32 GB supported)
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Asha exclusive Angry Birds game

Main disadvantages

  • No Wi-Fi (as opposed to Asha 303)
  • No multitasking
  • Fixed-focus camera
  • No smart dialing
  • No video-call camera
  • Non-hot-swappable memory card

The Asha 300 walks that fine precipice between designing a phone that is contemporary, yet aims to appeal mainly to an audience where being contemporary is not as important as being simple and not too expensive.

We’ve all heard the expression “I just want a phone that works, don't care about the extra stuff.” With quad-band 2G and 3G support, the 300 does exactly that – it’s a no-nonsense worker bee of a phone. In fact, with Bluetooth, a 5MP camera, messaging and radio it will do even more should the need arise. The only ding in regards to important cost-cutting features is that it does not have the Wi-Fi support of the Asha 303.

Nokia Asha 300 Nokia Asha 300
The Asha 300 in-hand

All of this in mind, one of the main disadvantages of not having a smartphone is that you don't get multitasking. Save for being able to play music in the background, the Asha 300 will not be able to run multiple applications simultaneously.

Asha is the new name of Nokia's entry level phone lineup. The Asha 303, which we recently reviewed, succeeds the Nokia C3. The Asha 300 in turn is an obvious descendant of the C3-01. Interestingly, while the QWERTY-enabled Asha 303 upgrades its predecessor in almost every way, the Asha 300 looks and feels like a downgrade. That should make it even more affordable, but let's see what you get relative to what you pay for.

We're about to take a closer look at the exterior, and how it feels to trade stainless steel for plastic.

Next Page » 2. Unboxing, 360-degree spin, design and build quality
1. Introduction
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Unboxing, 360-degree spin, design and build quality
  3. 3. User interface
  4. 4. Phonebook, telephony, messaging
  5. 5. Gallery, video and music players, FM radio, audio quality
  6. 6. Camera, image quality, video recording, connectivity
  7. 7. Web browser, organizer, social networking
  8. 8. Store, conclusion
  9.  
  10. Nokia Asha 300 specification
  11. User opinions and reviews
  12. Review comments (54)

Reviews Nokia Asha 300 review
  • Comments (54)
  • User reviews
  • Asha 300

Nokia Asha 300 review: King of ordinary - Reader comments

D
  • DastarYasin
  • a3Y
  • 14 Jul 2015

Hi,I come from Iran,Tehran,my phone is nokia asha300.that no support opera mini,so that without express browser,pleaze help me.

  • Reply
?
  • Anonymous
  • NmZ
  • 21 Sep 2014

Nokia asha 300 security

  • Reply
Q
  • Quintin
  • f0v
  • 11 May 2014

Just got the asha 502 with full touch screen.miss my asha 300.will swop back anytime,but lost my old phone.new touch screen not for me

  • Reply
  • Read all comments
  • Post your comment
Total reader comments: 54

Phone finder

  • Samsung
  • Apple
  • Huawei
  • Nokia
  • Sony
  • LG
  • HTC
  • Motorola
  • Lenovo
  • Xiaomi
  • Google
  • Honor
  • Oppo
  • Realme
  • OnePlus
  • vivo
  • Meizu
  • BlackBerry
  • Asus
  • Alcatel
  • ZTE
  • Microsoft
  • Vodafone
  • Energizer
  • Cat
  • Sharp
  • Micromax
  • Infinix
  • TCL
  • Ulefone
  • Tecno
  • BLU
  • Blackview
  • Acer
  • Panasonic
  • Plum

All brands Rumor mill

ADVERTISEMENTS

Related articles

  • Nokia G11 Plus goes official with 50MP camera and 3-day battery life
  • Upcoming Nokia Style+ specs and dimensions leak in FCC certification
  • Nokia G400 and G100 user manuals appear on the official site
  • Nokia X20 gets its first Android 13 Developer Preview
ADVERTISEMENTS

Popular reviews

Apple iOS 14 review

Apple iOS 14 review
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra review

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra review
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G review

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G review

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Hengchi 5 goes on sale for $26,690 but will customers buy it? Hengchi 5 goes on sale for $26,690 but will customers buy it? Human Horizons HiPhi Z debuts with 700km range and $89,000 starting priceElectric Porsche Macan testing in the Alps
ADVERTISEMENTS

Home News Reviews Compare Coverage Glossary FAQ RSS feed Youtube Facebook Twitter Instagram

© 2000-2022 GSMArena.com Mobile version Android app Tools Contact us Merch store Privacy Terms of use Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data