Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM Price in Philippines, Specs, Release Date : Thespians Bring Bright Green Variant To Wicked in Manila

Remember Nokia Asha 503, TP Friends? One of the six stellar devices that Nokia announced at the Nokia World 2013 event that I attended in Abu Dhabi last October 22? Well, it's now available in the Philippines and it sells for a very affordable price of just Php 5,200!

Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines

As I've shared earlier, Nokia Asha 503 is the most expensive model of the three Asha phones announced at that last major event of Nokia as an independent handset maker. Actually, the new Asha trio - Nokia Asha 500, 502, and 503 - only have subtle differences but what makes Nokia Asha 503 the most pricey of the bunch is that it has a slightly larger display, it has a 5 MegaPixel fixed focus camera with LED flash, and it supports 3G mobile connectivity.

Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines

Compared to the very popular and best-selling Nokia Asha 501 that was released earlier in 2013, Nokia Asha 503 has a refreshed - although largely similar - design identity highlighted by the dual-layer, swappable back case with glossy, transparent outer shell and an updated version of the Nokia Asha Touch operating system called Nokia Asha Software Platform 1.2, which brings a slew of enhancements including a new camera application which can be launched directly from the lock-screen simply by swiping up and a revamped FastLane that now supports closing of individual activities..

Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines

TP Friends, last Friday, January 24, 2014, I - as a new Smart Communications Brand Ambassador - got the chance to watch the Gala Performance of Wicked, the biggest and most awaited musical in the country this year.

Wicked Manila, Mark Milan Macanas, Wicked Musical

As I've shared, Wicked has been described by Entertainment Weekly as "The Best Musical of the Decade". Since its initial production on Broadway in 2003, Wicked ticket sales across the planet have reached a total of more than $500 Million making it one of the most watched and most successful musicals of all time.

Wicked Manila, Mark Milan Macanas, Wicked Musical
Being a big musical and theater fan myself, I couldn't be happier to witness the incredible show and I'm looking forward to seeing it again. All the artists in the show were absolutely amazing but I think Suzie Mathers who played Glinda is just something else. Of course, Jemma Rix playing Elphaba is also great.

Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years.

During the Gala night, I saw lots of popular Pinoy thespians or theater enthusiasts and actors. Apparently, Nokia Philippines is painting the town green as it taps some of the country’s most recognizable theater performers in celebrating the arrival of another blockbuster Broadway musical in Manila’s shores.

Nokia Asha 503, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines
Alessa and Robbie Zialcita with the show's female leads.

Thespians are always excited to witness award-winning shows that are known worldwide. When these actors were invited to watch the musical about the witches of Oz, friends from Nokia provided them with bright green Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM phones to document their weeklong journey for the gala performance-viewing in their Emerald City costumes.

With the new Asha 503 in hand, Robbie Zialcita, Cara Barredo, Hans Eckstein, Micah Muñoz, Alessa Zialcita, Naths Everett, Ayam Barredo-Eckstein, Tristan Cheng, Eric Mercado, and Antonio Lane showed just how excited they were about this opportunity to snap and share their one of a kind experience.

Nokia Asha 503, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines
Alessa Zialcita surrounded by many things green in preparation for Wicked Gala!

For one whole week, as the local actors chose their costumes and found green items as inspiration for the special event, the Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM allowed them to take and upload photos of those moments in a flash. They just had to swipe up the lock screen to activate the camera, and they were ready to start snapping. Sharing the photos was easy, too – they uploaded their pictures to their respective social media accounts with just one touch.

On the night of the gala, the actors who have performed with top theater groups including Repertory Philippines, Atlantis Productions, 4th Wall Theater Company, and Trumpets, arrived sporting their costumes with matching green Asha 503s. With its bold-colored core encased in a crystal-clear shell, the Asha 503 stood out with its unique design. It was the perfect accessory that tied together the local actors’ enchanting looks.

Nokia Asha 503, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines

Tristan Cheng, who was last seen in “The Producers” and “Rivalry” said, “What I liked about the whole Nokia Asha experience, besides having a phone to use, was being able to meet new friends and fellow thespians; capturing great moments with them. (The) phone was awesome. It was compact and smooth, perfect for people looking for a classy yet affordable phone.”

“We were excited to let the local actors enjoy the Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM throughout their magical Broadway experience,” said Mr. Mike Smith, Markets Products Management Manager of Nokia Philippines. “The new, colorful, and powerful pocket-sized Asha 503 allowed them to capture more with its 5 MP camera, as well as share and surf faster with its 3.5G capability.”

Nokia Asha 503, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines, Tristan Cheng

The Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM is packed with useful features, such as Fastlane, which logs what the user has been upto and helps him or her to seamlessly switch between apps. It keeps track of his/her recent apps, games, music, social media notifications and more in a single interface; and the Nokia Xpress Browser, which allows users to browse the web faster while saving on data. These features came in very handy as the actors took selfies in front of photowalls set up at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and snapshots with the touring show’s cast members and other famous personalities at the after party

Nokia Asha 503, Nokia Asha 503 Philippines
Micah Muñoz and Cara Barredo with the Bright Green Nokia Asha 503.

Line, LinkedIn, WeChat, and other great apps that matter to users are also available on the Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM, so staying in touch with friends is super easy. And with a gift of ten free games, users can give boredom the brush-off.

“The Asha experience fired up my love for Nokia. It reminded me how Nokia was always easy to use while supplying me with the hip and happening applications of today,” said Repertory Philippines baby, Cara Barredo.

Micah Muñoz, also known for his role on ABS-CBN’s “Be Careful with my Heart” shared, “had a wicked awesome time with my Asha, it’s handy and trendy; fit for any cool cat out there.”

The Nokia Asha 503 Dual SIM is now available in Nokia Stores and authorized retailers in bright green as well as Yellow, Bright Red, Cyan, White and Black at an affordable price of Php 5,200.