Nokia announces cheap Asha 308 and Asha 309 handsets

FINNISH PHONE FIRM Nokia announced two cheap touchscreen smartphones today, the Asha 308 and Asha 309.

According to Nokia, the two handsets are the cheapest capacitive touchscreen handsets ever, with both set to retail for less than £60 before taxes and subsidies.

These cheap prices are more than evident when it comes to the handsets' specifications. Sporting dual and single SIM slots, respectively, the two phones both feature a 3in WQVGA touchscreen, an integrated FM radio, up to 32GB of internal storage, WiFi and - wait for it - 2G connectivity.

The Finnish firm seems fairly happy with the handsets though. Timo Toikkanen, EVP of mobile phones at Nokia said, "Our innovative Asha Touch family of devices is designed for people who want a great smartphone experience with lower running costs.

"By introducing the Nokia Asha 308 and Nokia Asha 309, we're expanding our affordable smartphone lineup and bringing new mobile experiences to more people."

It's not all about the phones' specifications though, as Nokia aims to lure customers with the promise of 40 free Electronic Arts games and preloaded apps such as Facebook and Twitter.

We asked Nokia whether the two handsets will be coming to Blighty, and were greeted with the standard but unhelpful response, "Unfortunately Nokia can't comment on any speculation or rumours with regards to the Asha 308 and 309 devices in the UK." µ