Late last year Nokia began its fight back in the smartphone wars by releasing its first handsets running the Windows Phone operating system. The company has always done well with its less expensive feature phones, but in recent years lost market share in the smartphone market, but looked to the release of the Lumia 710 and 800 to begin changing its fortunes. Since then the company has released a cheaper alternative in the shape of the Lumia 610 that is now begun rolling out in Asia.

The device is set to be available first in the Philippines in the final week of this month, and then in China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam during the following weeks. During this quarter the handset will become available in other regions.

Nokia have deigned the Lumia 610 as the perfect introduction to the Windows Phone platform for the younger audience, and the PeopleHub feature will make it easier for users to keep in touch with friends. This is done by providing instant access to social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, email and having them in one place.

Browsing the web is easier thanks to Internet Explorer and there is access to games via Xbox Live, and the Lumia 610 will also feature Wi-Fi tethering and flip-to silence that are features being provided across all the Lumia range.

There is also Nokia Maps, Nokia Music, Nokia Transport, and Nokia Drive along with thousands of applications that are available via Windows Phone Marketplace. Great for students the device comes with Microsoft Office, PowerPoint mobile, Excel mobile, and Word mobile already built into the handset.

The Nokia Lumia 610 will be priced at around EUR189 and available in black, cyan, magenta, and white colour schemes. Is the Nokia Lumia 610 a handset you will be considering?