14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 is quite hard to get if you're a Lumia user. In fact, there are only two smartphones that come with Update 2 right out of the box, Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL.
Microsoft has recently kicked off the rollout of Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 for Lumia 735 and Lumia 830, but the update is only available in some countries for the moment.
And these will be the only Lumia smartphones to be packed with Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2, since Microsoft is now focusing on bringing Windows 10 to all other smartphones, which includes all the new features and improvements added in GDR2.
For quite some time, we didn't know exactly how many changes Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 brings and their nature. We had some idea since we noticed some of the most obvious new features added by Microsoft, but not the subtle ones.
Well, it looks like Microsoft has finally released the Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 changelog, which highlights the new features and improvements it brings.
All improvements will be part of Windows 10 Mobile
First of all, the update makes it easier for users to find their phone settings by tapping one of the new settings categories to jump to it, use Search to find a setting, or pan down to peruse in the traditional way.
In addition, users can choose to pin the phone settings to Start for even quicker access. Also, the agenda view is back.
There's also the option to name your phone without connecting to a PC. Simply tap Settings / About / Edit name to name it.
Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 also adds VPN support. This means that you will be able to use certificates to sign in for L2TP VPN connections. Moreover, always-on VPN profiles are now supported too, so you're automatically and always connected.
Many of you probably knew by now that this update also adds Bluetooth HID support, which means you can now use external keyboards with your Windows Phone handset.
App privacy permissions is another new feature included in the update, which will allow users to control whether an app can access contacts, calendar, camera, microphone and text messages. Just tap Settings / App permissions to get started.
There are a few other improvements that Microsoft didn't mention in the changelog for whatever reason, like MKV support for video playback, as well as Reset Protection security feature.
Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 is already available for a wide range of OEM devices, but it's unlikely to arrive on more Lumia smartphones, other than the ones mentioned earlier.