NOKIA Asha 503 Pro Reviews

Nokia sells its Asha 503 in select global markets, for a range of prices that equates to about $99 in US dollars. The phone's unique, attractive design is a definite draw, and there are enough software features to satisfy someone who's looking for some light Internet browsing and social media involvement. It does check a fair number of boxes for a budget handset -- like Wi-Fi, an e-mail client, and FM radio -- but I can't recommend it for its performance.

Nokia has managed to design and produce a solid device for under £100, and for the price it's hard to complain about the problems. The bulky frame can be taken one of two ways. Either you think it feels rugged and durable, or chunky and a waste of space. The Asha 503 certainly feels well built and sturdy, although the cheap plastic rear case does not do itself any favours in terms of premium quality. The rear of the device is replaceable, which is a plus although the case is so thick that it is unlikely to ever break anyway. The option to customise the 503 with your own favourite colour should appeal to style conscious users. The 503 is lacking in up to date technology, there's no NFC or 4G, but this should not be a surprise from a device that does not even support GPS. For the price and the market it's aimed at though the Asha 503 is a reasonable compromise, but I'd recommend spending a little extra cash on a Moto G or Lumia 520.

With a price of around $99 (€99 in Europe), the Asha 503 is without a doubt an affordable device, but in this day and age there are plenty of smartphones offering much more for the same price. The Asha 503 is coming to affordable markets where it will meet fierce rivalry by affordable Android devices from both well-established manufacturers and new Chinese phone companies that now sell phones in mainstream outlets. The Samsung Galaxy Star S5282 looks like a much better all-around solution, offered for the same price, yet packing a contemporary Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system and four times more RAM. The real competition, though, comes from China with devices like the Huawei Y300 with its larger 4” WVGA screen, dual-core processor, dual SIM connectivity and Android 4.1 on board. We like the colorful design and unique style of the Asha 503, and it has a decent 5-megapixel camera, but there is a huge mismatch between its price and functionality that we simply cannot overlook. A phone of this caliber should cost much less in this day and age. The Asha 503 will appeal to die-hard Nokia fans and people who for some reason do not want a smartphone. For all else, there are much better options out there.

Nokia Asha 503 leaves a lot to be desire, it lacks performance, apps and reliability, but what it does have is affordability. The 502 really is an entry level smartphone that should only be considered if you are desperate to get your hands on a smartphone for as little money as possible – even then we'd suggest looking at the refurbished 2nd hand market first as using this phone on a day-to-day basis would drive you bananas.