14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia Asha users will be pleased to hear that the Finnish handset maker has just confirmed that it will bring its popular MixRadio streaming music service to their devices in the coming months.
Currently, Asha owners can only take advantage of what MixRadio has to offer in Russia and India, but Nokia plans to make it available in 29 more countries in the next several weeks.
The list of the countries hasn’t been disclosed yet, but we expect that MixRadio will be introduced for Asha devices mostly in emerging markets.
According to Nokia’s Jyrki Rosenberg, VP Entertainment, Asha 500, 501, 502 and 503 handsets will receive the MixRadio music streaming via software update 1.4.
The major update is expected to hit these Asha devices around April, which means that the MixRadio should be available around the same timeframe.
Additionally, Rosenberg has mentioned that the music service will be available on all Nokia X smartphones coming to the market regardless of the region where they get released. In fact, all Nokia X Android smartphones will come preloaded with MixRadio service.
Nokia’s MixRadio does not require users to register or pay any monthly fee for its features. Asha owners will be able to either listen to predefined mixes of songs or their favorite radio station.
In countries where data usage is costly, MixRadio users will be able to store offline mixes on their smartphones for listening when not connected to a Wi-Fi network. That will save users lots of money and still provide an immersive multimedia experience while on the move.
MixRadio also offers curated mixes for Asha, Nokia X or Lumia users. Nokia has confirmed that it now provides more than 10,000 curated mixes for MixRadio users.
There are several music streaming services available on the market and most of them are asking customers to pay a monthly subscription, but they allow you to make your own playlists with their favorite artists.
However, Nokia thinks that people will be more attached to its MixRadio service, as they just want to listen to music and not necessarily certain songs and artists.
“But the key isn’t whether it costs anything or not. Most People love music but don’t really care about technology, so our mission has been to remove the technology between you and the music.
MixRadio isn’t a music service; it’s a listening experience. We are promoting music, not a service, and giving music back to the people by removing the technical hassle,” said Jyrki Rosenberg, VP entertainment at Nokia.
