Nokia Asha platform

The Nokia Asha platform is a discontinued <a href="/facts/Mobile_operating_system/wysBVca1">mobile operating system</a> (OS) and <a href="/facts/Computing_platform/DmKwp5Bk">computing platform</a> designed for low-end borderline <a href="/facts/Smartphone/cSIrBMWG">smartphones</a>, based on software from <a href="/facts/Smarterphone/MnV3tl7U">Smarterphone</a> which was acquired by Nokia. The platform inherits UI similarities mostly from <a href="/facts/MeeGo/3P3HSE8K">MeeGo</a> "Harmattan", and replaced <a href="/facts/Series_40/4Cp8EpDL">Series 40</a> on Nokia's low-end devices. The user interface design team was headed by Peter Skillman, who had worked previously on <a href="/facts/WebOS/lf3sPSeG">webOS</a> and the design of MeeGo for the <a href="/facts/Nokia_N9/gUkdhBbF">Nokia N9</a>.
It was the successor to the Meltemi project which Nokia was developing as a <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a> platform to replace Series 40, but was cancelled in July 2012.
The first phone based on the platform was the <a href="/facts/Nokia_Asha_501/E27HNtoh">Nokia Asha 501</a>, followed by the <a href="/facts/Nokia_Asha_500/TNcylKac">Asha 500</a>, <a href="/facts/Nokia_Asha_502/f11PGhdn">Asha 502 Dual SIM</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nokia_Asha_503/f11PGhdn">Asha 503</a>, all announced at Nokia World in October 2013. Another phone, the Nokia Asha 230 was announced on 24 February 2014, and came pre-installed with Asha platform 1.4.
Apps for the platform were either made using <a href="/facts/Java_ME/wsJJf7lq">Java ME</a>, or as <a href="/facts/Web_apps/BLkF3BIN">web apps</a>, which are rendered by the <a href="/facts/Nokia_Xpress/WWYjFyQ1">Nokia Xpress</a> browser which uses the <a href="/facts/Gecko_rendering_engine/HXINMkgW">Gecko rendering engine</a>. The mobile operating system lacks true multitasking but the radio and music app can run in background mode (which is advertised as multitasking), while swiping to fastlane apps will actually close down previously opened applications instead of minimising them.
It featured a <a href="/facts/Notification_Center/Ez3asjLp">notification centre</a>, named Fastlane, which was accessible by swiping to the left of the home screen.
The platform was supplemented by the <a href="/facts/Nokia_X_software_platform/lDP5MknT">Nokia X software platform</a>, Nokia's customised version of Android, seen on the <a href="/facts/Nokia_X/TC9otrps">Nokia X</a>, which draws cues from the Asha platform, including the Fastlane notification centre.
In a company memo released in July 2014, <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> announced that as part of cutbacks, they would cease all development of the Asha, Series 40, and X ranges, in favor of solely producing and encouraging the use of <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Lumia/lRbUHx6d">Lumia</a> Windows Phone products.

Nokia Asha platform open-in-new

Nokia Asha platform