Nokia Asha 306 Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview of Nokia Asha 306

Introduced in June 2012 and released in July of the same year, the Nokia Asha 306 was an addition to Nokia's affordable line-up, catering to users who desired a blend of basic smartphone features with the simplicity and reliability that Nokia phones were renowned for. Despite its eventual discontinuation, the Asha 306 remains a testament to Nokia's commitment to providing accessible technology to the masses.

Design and Build

The Nokia Asha 306 boasts a compact and lightweight design, with dimensions of 110.3 x 53.8 x 12.8 mm and weighing just 96 grams. This makes it highly portable and easy to handle with one hand. It features a Mini-SIM slot and is available in colors such as Silver White, Red, Mid Blue, and Dark Grey, appealing to a wide range of aesthetic preferences.

Display

Equipped with a 3.0-inch TFT resistive touchscreen, the Asha 306 offers 65K colors, which, while modest by today's standards, provided adequate visual fidelity for its time. The screen-to-body ratio is approximately 43.2%, with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of around 155 ppi. Despite not being the most advanced display, it served its purpose for basic navigation and usage.

Performance and Storage

The device comes with 32MB of RAM and 64MB of ROM, coupled with a 10MB internal storage space. For users needing more storage, the Asha 306 includes a dedicated microSDHC slot, supporting memory expansion. It ships with a 2 GB card included, offering space for essential apps and media.

Camera

The main camera on the Nokia Asha 306 is a single 2 MP shooter, capable of capturing still images and recording video at 176x144@10fps. While lacking advanced photography features and a selfie camera, it delivers basic photography capabilities adequate for simple snapshots.

Sound and Connectivity

Sound output is facilitated through a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm audio jack, which is still appreciated by users who prefer wired earphones. Connectivity features include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR. The device also offers microUSB 2.0 for data transfer and charging. For entertainment, users can enjoy stereo FM radio with RDS functionality, catering to traditional radio listeners.

Operating System and Features

The Asha 306 is classified as a feature phone, offering a simpler user interface than modern smartphones. It supports SMS, MMS, Email, and IM messaging services, ensuring users can communicate across various platforms. It also supports Java applications, allowing users to download additional apps and games beyond the pre-installed ones.

Battery Life

Powering the Nokia Asha 306 is a removable Li-Ion 1110 mAh battery (BL-4U), providing users substantial operational time. Notably, it boasts up to 600 hours of standby time, 14 hours of talk time, and 40 hours of continuous music playback, making it an excellent choice for users seeking reliable battery performance.

Network and Communication

The phone operates on GSM networks, supporting 2G bands like GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900. It offers GPRS and EDGE for basic data connectivity. However, it lacks positioning technologies like GPS, limiting its functionality in navigation.

Conclusion

In summary, the Nokia Asha 306 was an affordable feature phone that combined essential functionalities and Nokia's durable design philosophy. Despite the limitation in high-end features, its long battery life, robust build, and basic smartphone functionalities made it a valuable choice for those seeking simplicity and reliability in mobile communication.