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November 21, 2013

Nokia Asha 501 update makes it new



Do you have a Nokia Asha 501? Get ready to feel like it’s brand new again with an extensive software update that adds great new experiences, improvements and capabilities to your phone.

The update brings the operating system software to the latest version that comes on the recently announced Nokia Asha 500, 502 and 503.

Let’s break down what’s new.

What’s that? Nokia Asha 501 refreshed

WhatsApp is coming to the Nokia Asha 501

One of the most hotly anticipated additions is WhatsApp for Asha Platform devices, announced during last month’s Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi. Starting with the Nokia Asha 501 single or Dual SIM, you can begin using one of the world’s most popular instant messaging apps as soon as your phone receives the software update and you download the WhatsApp client.

But that’s not all. The software update also makes your Asha 501 even more fun to use, and more tailored to your preferences.

Easily capture and share pictures

With smarter imaging on the Asha 501, you can now start using the phone’s camera simply by swiping up on the Lock screen, and then capture an image just by touching anywhere on the camera screen. After you’ve taken the shot, it’s another single swipe into the gallery, and you can edit your photos directly from there, with a range of new filters and effects.

When it’s time to show off your pictures, it’s now just a couple of taps to share images instantly to your favourite social network. You can cut that down to a single touch by setting the default service to use (such as Facebook), and share more than one image at a time via e-mail, too.

Total content personalisation

Asha’s Fastlane is getting substantial improvements, too. Fastlane now offers a livelier, more personalised experience, more closely integrated with your social networks, showing icons when someone has posted something new or commented on your own updates.

Get the software update for the Nokia Asha 501.

This software update also features improved privacy features. On the Lock screen you can opt to see full notifications or notification icons (so that others can’t see message content). And you can also easily personalise your Fastlane content, configuring which applications can show updates. The choice is yours. You can also get more granular and hide any content you want, item by item. A long press on anything you don’t want visible, and it’s gone.

You will also find more services show notifications in Fastlane, including: Odnoklassniki, Sina Weibo, and Renren. So if you use these services, you’ll get live updates on Fastlane when there’s new activity to check out.

And more…

The software also has an API for Voice over IP, making it possible to make voice calls over a data connection using social messaging apps such as Nimbuzz to start, with more coming soon.

The Asha 501 has also stepped up its business credentials with support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync features keeping you on top of work emails.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkNID_N8AMM

What should you do now?

You may have already received a notification to update your Asha 501’s software, but if not, we’ve got a quick to-do list so you can get going right away:

  1. Go to “settings” then “phone update”.
  2. Use mobile data to check for the update. Make sure you’re on Wifi to make the process as fast and smooth as possible.
  3. Press “update” and presto – you will see the download progress, which takes just a few minutes.
  4. When the update is done, a WhatsApp launcher will appear on your home screen. Press this to download and install the full app.
  5. Still unsure? Learn more about the SW update here.

And there you have it. The features you need to be your most social self, directly from your Asha 501 smartphone.

The full, over-the-air software update with WhatsApp is ready now. The standalone WhatsApp client will also be published on the Nokia Store very soon.

Lastly, the new software and WhatsApp will come pre-loaded on all new Asha 501s fresh from the Nokia factory.