14 DAY TRIAL // Wireless carrier AT&T will be among the first to deliver the long-awaited Windows Phone 7.8 software update to its Nokia Lumia 900 users, starting with the next week.
According to a recent article on WPCentral, the operator is planning the release of this upgrade for January 30, one day earlier than previously rumored.
The update will weigh 10MB, it seems, while bringing Baseband version 2.1.75.22, along with kernel version 7.10.8858.136.
The update will be delivered to users via their PCs, through the Zune software, an internal email from AT&T reportedly mentioned. No data charges will apply to this update.
Just as previously mentioned, the new software is set to bring along a nice range of enhancements to Lumia 900 devices, and said leaked email has confirmed this.
Users will taste a new start screen on their devices, similar with that on Windows Phone 8, one that will change the looks of Lumia 900.
Furthermore, there will be more customization features available for them courtesy of new theme colors, as well as a series of lock screen enhancements, including the Bing “Image of the Day” option, which will retrieve the image from the Bing search screen and display it on the phone’s lock screen.
Said email also notes a series of API enhancements set to arrive on devices, though it seems that these will depend on OEM implementation or third-party applications that use them. Following the update, new apps should be available for download via the Windows Phone Store.
The release notes for Windows Phone 7.8 for AT&T’s Lumia 900 also include:
- New Start Screen - This new start screen provides users with more options to personalize their start screen. More tiles can be pinned to the start screen and their sizes can be altered between small, medium, or large. In addition the wide vertical black zone on the far right called the “gutter” has been removed.
- Bing “Image of the Day” Lock Screen Option - As a result the customer will have a new lock screen image available on their device each day.
- Improved Lock Screen accidental wipe protection - Customers will experience an enhanced lock screen that is less likely to open accidentally by an inadvertent touch on the display. This will help extend the life of the battery for customers who had experienced this issue.
- Quality and Security Enhancements – Customers will experience greater device stability with the implementation of multiple software fixes and enhancements. Improved security fixes and enhancements have been made to protect customer information on their device.
- Marketplace Enhancements – Customers will experience an enhanced marketplace experience and a newly optimized download process.
This is not the first time we learn that these improvements will be delivered to Windows Phone users. What remains to be seen is when other handsets powered by Microsoft’s older OS release will receive the Windows Phone 7.8 update.