Despite stiff competition, Finnish telecoms giant Nokia was the largest producer of mobile phones in 2011, thanks in part to their highly rated smartphones such as the Nokia Lumia series of Windows phones which aim to compete with the Android and Apple iOS markets.
Reviews for the Nokia Lumia 800 were overwhelmingly favourable, and the latest smartphone to be produced by Nokia is the more basic but effective Nokia Asha 201 which runs on Symbian S40. This is a smartphone that is squarely aimed at the budget market, being available to buy as a pay as you go model for around £50 in the UK. While not a rival to the high end Lumia phones and their competitors, the Nokia Asha 201 is available in various colours, and includes a QWERTY keyboard as well as a browsing screen.
Stylish looking and handy to use, it includes basic but decent 2 megapixel camera and an MP3 player, plus has an excellent battery life and easy access keys for texting. This model does not have Wi-Fi or 3G, so for internet browsing it is probably not the best model to choose, but at such a low price point there is certainly a place for it in the crowded smartphone sector. Nokia Asha 201 deals are available from a variety of UK networks staring from around £21 per month, including free handset and unlimited texts, but it is worth noting that internet usage is not included in these offers.
The Nokia Lumia 800, which debuted in late 2011, is a highly rated Windows phone which is available at equally competitive deals, and came out favourably in expert reviews, rivalling smartphones such as the HTC Radar which also came out in 2011 and the HTC Titan both on price, specifications and style.