Nokia is hoping to boost the number of applications available for the Asha 501 to make it more competitive with low-cost Android smartphones with the release Thursday of the first version of a software development kit (SDK) for the phone.
The Finnish phone maker has increasingly focused on software and apps to make the Asha family more attractive, including recently adding a tailored version of its own Here Maps for the 501, as well as a LinkedIn app that can be used by a number of Asha models.
But like every handset vendor, Nokia has to attract the legions of smaller developers that create most of the apps on the market. The Asha SDK 1.0 is a suite of tools to make the development, testing, packaging and deployment of Java apps on the Asha OS easier, according to Nokia. It includes features such as sensor and multi-touch simulation as well as APIs for Here Maps and notifications.
To help developers test their apps, the Asha 501 is now available in Nokia's Remote Device Access service, which lets developers access real phones online over an Internet connection for up to eight hours a day. The service allows developers to make sure applications work as expected.
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