Hands-on with the Asha 205 and Nokia’s Slam quick-sharing feature (video)

Hands-on with the Asha 205 and Nokia's Slam quick-sharing feature (video)

Feature phones don't grace our pages too often, but when Nokia said it had a new Asha to show us, we thought we'd go take a look. We've been following the Asha range since it launched a little more than a year ago, but we were also interested to see Nokia Slam in action, a new Bluetooth quick-sharing feature with Android compatibility. There were no touchscreens in sight as we were introduced to the Asha 205 -- a Series 40 QWERTY handset with a social angle aimed primarily at emerging markets, but also at those who either don't have the cash or the need for a top-of-the-range device. Bearing that in mind, we gave the phone a brief once over, looking at what it does for roughly $62 (excluding taxes, etc.), rather than what it lacks compared with smartphones at higher price points. During the meeting we also glanced over the Nokia 206, which shares many of the same features but isn't part of the Asha family due to its numpad input (see the video and gallery for more details). Head past the break for our thoughts on the Asha 205, and a demo of Nokia Slam in action.

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Opera Mini 7 comes to feature phones and BlackBerry, upgrade notifications in tow

Opera Mini 7 comes to feature phones and BlackBerry, upgrade notifications in tow

Opera Mini 7 has been available via the Google Play market since the end of March, but if you're still milking a feature phone for all it's worth, you haven't been able to enjoy the latest version of the mobile browser. Opera Mini 7 is now available for basic phones and BlackBerry, allowing these devices to store an unlimited number of speed dials and access the new Smart Page feature for shortcuts to favorite sites. In addition to those new features, Opera Mini 7 includes several improvements and tweaks, including upgrade notifications and the ability to close tabs with one click on touchscreen phones. Of course, the browser still promises to cut down on your device's bandwidth usage, so your flip phone can keep on chugging.

Opera Mini 7 comes to feature phones and BlackBerry, upgrade notifications in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types

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Virgin Mobile's feature phone arm just added a third tier, delivering unlimited talk and texting, along with 50 megs of web access for $40 per month. This offering joins Sprint's other payLo budget offerings, including an entry-level option that includes 400 minutes of talk time for $20 per month, and a $30 monthly plan that delivers 1,500 minutes, 1,500 texts and 30MB of data. Overage charges are quite hefty, at $0.10 per minute, $0.25 per message and $1.50 per MB (ouch!), with the option to reset the counter instead by starting a new month once you hit the threshold. Considering that the plans are designed for feature phones (which are seldom used for anything but basic web access), the tier limits do sound manageable -- perhaps even a deal, if you talk a lot and never browse the web. The payLo plan can be paired with any of Virgin's feature phones, which range in price from $15 (for a sold-out LG101) to $50 (for a QWERTY-equipped Kyocera S2300). Get the full scoop from Sprint in the PR after the break.

Continue reading Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types

Virgin Mobile adds $40 payLo unlimited plan for talk and text types originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia swings Mail for Exchange to Series 40 dumbphones: now in beta labs for testing (video)

Mail for Exchange on Series 40

Nokia isn't just shaking up your browser on your humble Series 40 phone. This time, those cheap little bundles of communication goodness are preparing to get mail for Exchange, with the feature now undergoing testing in its Beta Labs. While Nokia might not be king of the phone hill anymore, there's still plenty of its solid dumbphones itching to get a taste of corporate email. This holds especially true for developing countries where the phone series still sells well and where Nokia's still pushing to increase its foothold. While you'll only be able to feel up the beta at the source below, the full-fat version is shaping up for a June launch and will be initially compatible with both the Asha 302 and 303. You'll need your phone's latest software to test out the beta, but if you're covered there, grab your goggles and visit Nokia's labs at the source below. If not, you'll have to make do with the intro video after the break.

Continue reading Nokia swings Mail for Exchange to Series 40 dumbphones: now in beta labs for testing (video)

Nokia swings Mail for Exchange to Series 40 dumbphones: now in beta labs for testing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 04:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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