Introduction
Asha phones. They take you a long way, but yet make you always want more. In this case, more would mean something with Windows Phone inside. Looks like the right thing for Nokia to do - keep customers in the Lumia waiting room, and away from Android temptation. That said, the Ashas have been putting the smart in dumbphones for a while now, so a cheap droid isnt the only option that users shopping for a touch phone with apps, games and fast data can afford.
The Nokia Asha 501 did well to demonstrate the platforms new look and feel, ticking some right boxes for a smartphone wannabe: touchscreen, Wi-Fi, fresh and reasonably fluid OS, and an app store. The Asha 502 and Asha 503 followed it up - the first one adding to the camera, while the one we are looking at now is the lineups top spot, the 3G-enabled Asha 503.
The Nokia Asha 503 is obviously the most feature-rich of the new Asha generation, with a Gorilla Glass-covered 3" QVGA capacitive display, a 5MP camera with LED flash, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity, optional dual-SIM support, plus expandable memory and the latest Asha Software Platform v1.2.
Nokia Asha 503 official pictures Sticking to a proven recipe, the new Asha 503 is available in six different flavors: yellow, black, green, red, blue and white. Nokia has those eye-catching paintjobs coated in an extra layer of icing, a nice and easy way to jazz up the looks. And its a phone that looks fresh on the inside too - the swipe-driven UI with Fastlane, the ability to run a handful of popular apps and games, a proper app store, social services, good organizing skills and internet connectivity.
Key features
- Quad-band GSM, GPRS, EDGE
- Dual-band 3G with HSPA
- Optional dual-SIM support, dual standby, hot-swappable secondary microSIM
- Nokia Asha software platform 1.2
- 3" QVGA capacitive touchscreen, ~133 ppi, Corning Gorilla Glass 2
- Proximity sensor
- Accelerometer, display auto-rotation
- 64MB RAM, 128MB ROM, 40MB internal storage
- Data-efficient Nokia Xpress browser
- Nokia Store and 40 EA games for free
- 5.0 MP camera, VGA video recording @19fps, LED flash
- microSD card support (up to 32 GB) and 4 GB microSD card in the box
- Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity
- FM radio with RDS
- Bluetooth v3.0
- Standard microUSB port, charging
- 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery
- Excellent loudspeaker performance
- Solid codec support
Main disadvantages
- Low-resolution screen
- Fixed-focus camera
- No smart dialing
Its a small handset with an even smaller screen and that wont be everyones cup of tea. After all, screen real estate has only been getting cheaper. The resolution is nothing to write home about either, Ashas are at the very bottom of the food chain at QVGA. On a second thought, therere still droids launching with this kind of display resolution. On a positive note, the Asha 503s screen is covered with Gorilla Glass 2 and it is the first of its kind to offer Wi-Fi n connectivity, enabling faster data transfers.
Nokia Asha 503 at ours You obviously cant have everything and then demand the best of it for this kind of cash. The inevitable compromises aside, the Asha 503 is promising to keep you up-to-date, connected and entertained - and itll give it a decent try. Now, is it enough or is that short step to entry-level smartphones worth it? Lets see. Our hardware checkup follows right after the break.
Nokia Asha 503 retail package
There isnt much room in the Asha 503s retail package except for the basics - a microUSB Nokia charger is supplied, as well as a single piece pink headset.
Nokia is also throwing a complimentary 4GB microSD card. No need to search for it in the box though, it is already inserted in the phones memory slot.
Nokia Asha 503 retail box Whats missing in the Asha 503s box is a data cable. If you want to use the Mass Storage or do some synching with your computer, youll have to provide your own.
Nokia Asha 503 360-degree spin
The Nokia Asha 503 is very compact and pocket-friendly handset. At 102.6 x 60.6 x 12.7mm, its a mere 3mm taller and 2mm wider than the Asha 501. It weighs in at 110g, 12g more than Asha 501 that is. Both the extra width and weight go down to the icing - the transparent layer the phone is wrapped in.
Design and handling
Long story short, the Asha 503 design is just an Asha 501 body in an ice-cube - the transparent coating is pretty much overcooked hyperglaze, but it doesnt look as bad as it sounds. Perhaps the bright yellow of our test unit looks like a splash of paint underneath, liquid, almost milky.
We still cant quite decide whether this is a very smart idea or a total waste of material, but we kinda like the look. Not so sure about the feel though. The outer coating tends to get greasy like no other finish weve handled. Fingerprints arent as prominent as on some glossy plastic handsets weve encountered, but theyre definitely there and quite hard to clean too.
The 3" capacitive QVGA display has more than ample bezels, but with a good reason - most of the UI swipes start off the screen. Still, on a phone this size everything is well within comfortable reach and the capacitive display is pleasingly responsive.
The hardware Back button is gone, replaced by a capacitive control. It is still the only means of UI navigation - taps and swipes do all the rest. We feared a capacitive control would stand in the way of swipes starting off the bottom of the screen but that was never the case.
Nokia Asha 503 up front As usual, the earpiece is above the screen, along with a hidden proximity sensor. There is no light sensor for automatic brightness adjustment, though.
At the back we find the 5.0MP fixed-focus camera lens, the small single-LED flash and a nub at the bottom to push the phone out of the case.
On the back - the 5MP cam and the nub youll use to open the Asha 503 We like how the Nokia Asha 503 looks. It is certainly a bit odd at first with the new transparent layer that can make you think the phone has been put into a case. It is definitely not a feature everyone will be crazy about, especially considering the compromised grip. The Asha 501 is clearly the safer choice in terms of aesthetics but the looks of the 503 can and will be appreciated too.
The Nokia Asha 503 is compact, portable and no hassle to operate single-handedly. Additional battery covers are sold separately so you can freshen up your phone anytime you like.
The Nokia Asha 503 in the handDisplay
The display on the Nokia Asha 503 is a 3" TFT unit of QVGA (240 x 320) resolution, which boils down to around 133ppi - the same as the one we saw on the Asha 501. It is of the capacitive variety with multi-touch support, and this time around it even boasts Gorilla Glass 2.
Colors arent too great and contrast is limited, but you cant expect much better in this price range. The screen is reasonably bright for an LCD, though its viewing angles are less than stellar. Size may be an issue, as well as resolution, but the response to user input is great.
The display Our test confirmed the mediocre contrast levels at both full brightness and 50%.
| Display test | 50% brightness | 100% brightness |
| Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Contrast ratio | Black, cd/m2 | White, cd/m2 | Contrast ratio |
| Nokia Asha 503 | 0.28 | 178 | 647 | 0.56 | 358 | 635 |
| Nokia Lumia 520 | - | - | - | 0.51 | 422 | 834 |
| Sony Xperia E | 0.19 | 157 | 813 | 0.50 | 433 | 875 |
| Sony Xperia E dual | 0.21 | 181 | 844 | 0.54 | 473 | 870 |
| Sony Xperia tipo | - | - | - | 0.75 | 561 | 751 |
| Samsung S7500 Galaxy Ace Plus | 0.27 | 239 | 873 | 0.6 | 528 | 888 |
| Apple iPhone 5 | 0.13 | 200 | 1490 | 0.48 | 640 | 1320 |
| Motorola Moto G | 0.35 | 315 | 906 | 0.57 | 550 | 967 |
| Sony Xperia C | 0.18 | 151 | 842 | 0.66 | 639 | 962 |
Sunlight contrast ratio
- Nokia 808 PureView 4.698
- Sony Xperia M 1.473
- Oppo N1 1.470
- Nokia Lumia 610 1.432
- Gigabyte GSmart G1355 1.361
- HTC Desire C 1.300
- Nokia Asha 503 1.281
- Nokia Asha 501 1.270
- LG Optimus L7 1.269
- LG Optimus L9 1.227
- Meizu MX 1.221
- Sony Xperia E dual 1.203
- Samsung Galaxy mini 2 1.114
The pixel arrangement is standard RGB - its an LCD screen so you wouldnt expect anything less.
Nokia Asha 503 display matrix next to Asha 501s Controls
All hardware controls of the Nokia Asha 503 are on the right side. There you can find the power/lock key and the volume rocker. Both are made of nice matte plastic, offer great tactile feedback and are very easy to locate by touch.
The right side of the Asha 503 There is nothing on the left side of the Nokia Asha 503.
The left side of the Asha 503 At the top theres the microUSB port for charging and data connections. The 3.5 mm headphones jack is also around. Unlike the Asha 501, Nokia has decided not to use the old-gen charging port here.
On the top of the Asha 503 The bottom features the microphone pinhole only.
The bottom has the mic Removing the back cover is easy - a push on the nub at the bottom will make the phones bottom part pop out of the shell. Not as easy as on the Asha 501 though - the slippery surface wont allow a secure hold, so a little extra caution is in order.
You can then go on and take the phone out. Once the battery cover is gone you can access the 1200 mAh Li-Ion battery and the SIM slot beneath. The hot-swappable microSD is on the side.
Removing the back cover to access the battery, the SIM card and the microSD slot The battery life of the Asha 503 is quoted at 840 hours of stand-by and 12 hours of calls over 2G networks or just 4 hours and 30 minutes in a 3G network.
Fastlane is where everything happens
Since it went full touch Nokias Asha Software Platform has always had a lot in common with the abandoned MeeGo - the app drawer/homescreen, the multi-tasking, some icons, even the notification area. The Asha 503 runs on the latest 1.2 version of the software, which brings WhatsApp support and better Fastlane UI with social updates.
The Asha platform relies on a single capacitive Back key, and it is only really needed when you need to go a level up from a submenu. For everything else, swipes and taps will do. A double tap will wake the phone up, swiping an app off the screen will close it. We told you - the whole thing is modeled after MeeGo.
