Nokia Asha — Platform overview

Building on the past, looking to the future

The Nokia Asha software platform is designed specifically to power a range of affordable yet powerful smartphones. It's a direct descendant of the Series 40 platform, known and loved by thousands of developers around the world. If you've delivered Java or web apps to Series 40, you'll be instantly at home with the Nokia Asha software platform — all your much loved APIs are still available, as are the tools you know. At the same time you'll find many improvements: more APIs, a more engaging UI, and new tool features.

Better still the Nokia Asha software platform will take your apps into the future, with a platform that'll advanced with the increasing expectation of consumers worldwide. Building on the success of the Series 40 the Nokia Asha platform is creating new opportunities for Java and web developers.

     

Key feature of the Nokia Asha software platform

The key features of the platform are:

• Platformised in software and hardware — complementing the Nokia Asha software platform is an increased focus on platformising the phone hardware, developers will now have greater certainty that a hardware feature they want to exploit in an app will be available across the new Nokia Asha family.
• Firmware updating — smartphone users expect regular firmware update to bring new features and functions to their phones, the Nokia Asha platform has been built with this demand in mind and updates are already in development.
• User experience — a engaging, sophisticated UI, optimised for 3" QVGA displays. The UI employs a swiping style for navigation between apps and the home screen,and within the home screen. It also enables apps to use the whole screen by hiding the status and menu bars until they are swiped into view.
• More advanced, fully featured apps are easier with Java. Harness features such as 2D and 3D graphic, accelerometers, and location information among others giving you more options to deliver the quality of apps consumers expect on a smartphone.
• With web apps online, content is delivered using up to 90% less data, while offering users an interactive, engaging UI because, unlike other proxy browser system, Nokia Asha web apps can update their UI locally on the phone.

Create great apps with Java or web apps technology

The Nokia Asha software platform offers you the choice of two industry standard development options: Java ME and web technology. Java ME is ideal for apps and games where rich functionality and high performance are needed, while web technology can be used to deliver on-line content in an engaging, data efficient way.

Java highlights All new Oracle VM. JAR files up to 5Mb and up to 3Mb heap memory (recommended). New Asha UI for intuitive, fast interaction. Mobile Internationalization API (JSR-238) and new Nokia specific APIs for features such as image scaling and network state. Earn from your apps with paid downloads, advertising, and in-app payments. Updated tools, with updated emulator and WiFi based on-device debugger. Comprehensive documentation, training, code examples and more.

Web app highlights Powered by the latest Gecko rendering engine. Rich UIs with dynamic list and fixed and scrollable regions. API to build hardware back-button navigation into your app. Ability to capture photos and videos. Discovery through the Nokia Store. Earn from your apps with paid downloads and advertising. Updated tools with new simulator and code examples. Comprehensive documentation, training, code examples and more.

Learn more about developing with Java ME

Learn more about developing with web technology