The new Asha 501 has design elements similar to the higher spec Lumia line, features applications for social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and supports Indian languages.
Nokia
Nokia has launched low-priced phones with Internet capability to help it regain lost ground in crucial emerging markets.
On Thursday, Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop unveiled a new 99 dollars phone in its mid-range Asha line at a launch in India.
The Asian country is the most important market for the Finnish firm, which has fallen behind in the global smartphone race.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the new phone offers Internet access on a touch screen with built in applications for popular social media sites and more features than earlier models.
The new Asha 501 has design elements similar to the higher spec Lumia line, features applications for social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and supports Indian languages.
He also announced a revamp of the Asha software platform in the hope of persuading more developers to write applications for Asha phones.
While Nokia has seen brisk sales of its Windows-based Lumia smartphones, it still has just a five percent share of a global smartphone market dominated by Samsung and Apple.