HMD Asha 305 leaks as potentially cheap, compact touchscreen phone

HMD Global's website lists the certification of a brand-new smartphone that the manufacturer calls "HMD TA-1779 (HMD Asha 305)." Although the website reveals few details about the device's specifications, it indicates that HMD Global is planning a comeback for the Nokia Asha series. The Nokia Asha 305 was originally introduced in July 2012.

The device was designed as a more affordable alternative to conventional Android smartphones, as the Nokia Asha 305 shipped with Nokia’s in-house S40 operating system instead of Android. With a 3-inch touchscreen featuring a resolution of 400 x 240 pixels, a 2-megapixel main camera, 32 megabytes of RAM, and up to 64 MB of flash memory, its specs were already lower end in 2012 than those of a typical mid-range smartphone. However, the device was at least relatively compact and equipped with a 3.5-mm headphone jack, a microSD slot, and a removable battery.

The certification suggests that the HMD Asha 305 has a built-in LTE modem, so it’s likely not just a reissue of the old Nokia Asha 305, the electronics are probably at least partially new. The Asha branding suggests that the HMD Asha 305 is a smartphone in the style of the HMD Touch 4G – that is, a very compact, affordable device with a modern design that bridges the gap between feature phones and smartphones with a touchscreen, a very limited selection of apps, and a selfie camera. It is not yet known when the HMD Asha 305 will be released.