14 DAY TRIAL // Starting today, owners of Windows Phone 8-based Lumia devices will start receiving the new Lumia Cyan software update, Microsoft has officially announced.
The platform update, officially unveiled back in April, arrives on devices with the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system inside, as well as with a series of Lumia exclusive features and enhancements.
While many users have already had the chance to get a taste of the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, Lumia Cyan will provide them with a series of improvements that are completely new, and which will be able to greatly enhance their overall phone experience.
“Starting today, the Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphone family will receive the Lumia Cyan software, the new Windows Phone 8.1 update and Lumia features upgrade that will make your Lumia an even more personal, fun and indispensable part of your life,” a post on Nokia Conversations reads.
According to the company, the update has started rolling out today, and will be available for all Windows Phone 8 devices in a matter of weeks. Users will receive a notification when the new firmware refresh arrives on their smartphones.
As part of the new update, Lumia users will receive a third column of customized Live Tiles, along with Start Screen backgrounds, improvements to the people hub, Action center, Wi-Fi Sense, and the Word Flow keyboard.
For users in the US, Cortana will also come as part of the update, along with new Device Search, and an updated Internet Explorer 11, for faster, more intuitive web browsing capabilities while on the go. All these are Windows Phone 8.1 enhancements, but more will come as part of Lumia Cyan.
For example, the firmware will provide users with updates to Nokia Camera, Creative Studio and Storyteller. Full-resolution zooming, reframing and Creative Studio 6 (CS6) will be available in Camera Roll, it seems.
Moreover, the update will come with Nokia Device Hub, so that users could keep track of their accessories easier than before. For Lumia 520, Lumia 525, Lumia 620 or Lumia 720 users, a free upgrade to global HERE Drive+ will be included in the new release.
New enterprise features will also arrive on devices, among which the option to send digitally signed and encrypted emails to people outside a company (S/MIME), and access to a company’s virtual private network (VPN).
Handsets will also offer more powerful business tools, such as Office for Windows Phone, OneNote, Outlook, Skype and OneDrive, along with full device encryption, for increased security.
The update will also come with a series of specific features on Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon devices, including Nokia Rich Recording and Dolby Digital Plus 5.1 sound, Living Images, continuous autofocus, better RAW DNG images, and improved low-light performance.
On top of that, Microsoft’s Screen Share technology will enable users to project content from their Lumia 1520 or Lumia Icon to connected screens. Not to mention that favorite apps (such as Bing Fitness & Health) and gadgets will be able to take advantage of SensorCore SDK Beta.
