Nokia Asha 501 gets OTA update for WhatsApp and VoIP

Popular cross-platform messaging app WhatsApp, which has over 300 million monthly active users and over 20 million users in India, is now headed to Nokia Asha 501 users. According to the official Nokia blog, the app can be downloaded by users for free following the over-the-air software update that is slated to roll out this week.

As with all other models, users who download and log into WhatsApp for the first time on the Asha 501 will automatically be able to find and add contacts that are already using the service. The cross-platform app will allow users to add emoticons to messages or add photographs and video files as well as record and send voice messages. Nokia claims that the app will feel like any other feature that comes pre-installed with the device, rather than a third-party app. Users will also be able to see WhatsApp activity via Fastlane, the second home screen on the handset that acts as a shortcut to favorite apps and content.

WhatsApp on Asha 501

WhatsApp, apart from being available for the Asha 501, will come pre-installed on the recently announced Asha 500, Asha 502 and the Asha 503 when the handsets hit stores later in the year. Speculation that the messaging app would be hitting the Asha 501 was first reported in May, when the device was first announced. A quick look at the specifications reveals that the 501 comes with a 3-inch LCD capacitive display with QVGA resolution (320x240 pixels).

The device comes in both single-SIM and dual-SIM variants but only supports 2G. Connectivity options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and microUSB 2.0 are supports. For photographers, the handset comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera at the back, but no flash. The handset comes with a microSD card slot that supports cards up to 32GB in size. Nokia has also included a free 4GB microSD card with the phone. The battery on the phone is a 1200mAh one, which has a quoted talk time of 17 hours and a standby time of a whooping 48 days. Check out our review to know more about the device. The Asha 501 is available on Flipkart for Rs 4,549.