[1] It comes upgraded to Nokia Belle after 15 February 2012 onwards (previously known as "Symbian Belle") via Nokia Suite and over-the-air (some country variants) The Nokia 500 has had many problems since it was first released with firmware version 010.029, but it runs smoothly after the 11.33 update.

Instead of an OpenGL ES GPU, the 500 features a simpler OpenVG GPU, so, even though 3D apps work without hardware acceleration, some 2D and vector apps, like Angry Birds, work correctly.

[2] The "Nokia Belle" update (latest software release is version 111.021.0028) improved performance with less latency and a new interface.

Belle features up to four home screens with live widgets in different sizes.

The lock screen can be customised with wallpapers and important information.