14 DAY TRIAL // Several hours ago, Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia officially announced that the Nokia Amber update had started to roll out around the world to Lumia users.
Based on the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 OS flavor (General Distribution Release 2), the new software comes with a nice range of enhancements to all compatible devices, just as Nokia unveiled a while ago.
In addition to the features that Microsoft packed inside the platform upgrade, such as FM Radio support, Xbox Music enhancements and an updated Internet Explorer, Amber comes with a series of novelties from Nokia as well, such as the Glance Screen and camera improvements.
“The update brings significantly improved algorithms that offer better noise reduction, color reproduction, exposure control and autofocus to every phone across the Lumia range,” Nokia explains in a recent blog post.
For example, following the update, Lumia 920 users will enjoy controls to adjust the ISO settings of the camera, so that they would benefit from even better low light performance.
Additionally, the update brings Nokia’s Smart Camera application to more handsets, after it made its official debut on the Nokia Lumia 925.
The camera app offers a great experience when it comes to taking pictures involving people and movement, through options such as Best Shot, Action Shot, Motion Focus, Change Faces, object removal, and the like.
“Note that Smart Camera’s performance scales according to the capabilities of your device,” said blog post explains.
“On the Nokia Lumia 720, 620 and 520, the burst mode used for some effects takes seven pictures rather than ten, and these are a lower resolution than on devices with more RAM (one-megapixel rather than five).”
For the owners of Lumia 920, Lumia 925, and Lumia 928 smartphones, things are getting even better, as the Nokia Pro Camera app, launched on the Lumia 1020, is now available for their handsets as well. They will also enjoy Nokia Video Trimmer and Nokia Video Upload applications.
Other enhancements in Nokia Amber include the aforementioned Glance Screen, with shows a clock when the phone is inactive, as well as a battery level indicator, and whether the phone is set to “silent.”
The new platform release also comes with flip to silence and double tap to wake, a Storage Check option to free up space on the device, as well as faster updates for Nokia’s HERE maps.
According to Nokia, the update will begin rolling out to Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in select markets, as well as to the Lumia 521, Lumia 810, and Lumia 928 in the United States. Users can check on the availability of the update by going to Settings > Phone Update.
“Exact delivery timings will vary by region, phone and operator, but we expect the update to reach your Lumia 520, Lumia 620, Lumia 720, Lumia 820 or Lumia 920 by the end of September,” the company also announced.