Nokia recently launched the Asha 305, 306, and 311, which are full touch devices with smartphone-like functionality at a low price. This makes them particularly attractive to consumers in the developing and developed world who may not be able to afford a smartphone but have a strong demand for apps and the smartphone experience. The Asha phones are the latest addition to Nokia's Series 40 platform, all of which support Java ME.

The SDK includes new Full Touch API's (e.g. supporting pinch zoom) and Sensor support delivering an enhanced App experience. It also adds improved Maps API support for creating socio-local apps. There are a number of improvements in the tools including the Nokia IDE for Java ME with in-build Device-SDK Manager. Many code examples, training videos, webinars and sample code will help get you started. Porting guides and sample code show you how to port your android app to Java ME. If you don't have access to the hardware you can use Remote Device Access to test on real hardware that's remotely hosted for free. You can also find Light Weight UI Toolkit (LWUIT) support, which can speed development significantly. Both In-App Advertising and In-App Purchase (beta) is supported. Here's a great revenue-making opportunity for developers and a great way of reaching a new app-hungry mass-market audience.

Download the new Nokia SDK 2.0 for Java (Beta) and get developing!