Nokia fans, just 3 months after the official launch of the Windows Phone 8 operating system, those with the older range of Lumia smartphones will be getting the middle ground Windows Phone 7.8 software update.
What’s even better is that Nokia has confirmed that the 7.8 update may be landing as soon as today for Lumia 800 and 900 owners. However, in all likelihood the update will land on your Nokia smartphone over the course of the next month as the software will be released in batches.
Nokia has made a statement regarding the update: “following extensive software testing, update notifications will begin to appear for Nokia Lumia 510, 610, 710, 800 and 900 owners with an unlocked phone or operator approved software?during February,” they follow on bys stating “Starting today and rolling out over the coming weeks, a message will appear on the phone encouraging users to get the update. Simply connect your phone to your computer via Zune for PC, or the Windows Phone app for Mac – and follow the on-screen instructions as shown in the video above.”
What this means is that owners of any of the last generation of Nokia Lumia handsets which covers the budget Lumia 510, 610, 710 and the higher end 800 and 900 will be getting the update throughout February, but only if you have a network unlocked (or SIM-free) Lumia version to begin with.
Network branded handsets will be delayed until individual networks test and authorise the software update, but lucky O2 UK owners will be getting the update from today alongside the non-branded handsets.
The new 7.8 update will bring a host of Windows Phone 8 features to the older smartphones including customisable live tiles, internet sharing, Bluetooth file transfers, camera extras and the addition of a few previously WP8-only Nokia features such as Contact Share, Play To and Nokia City Lens.
To manually check for the update and to make sure you are alerted about the software when it arrives, change your Lumia settings by:
Settings > Phone Update > “Notify me when new updates are found”.
Let us know your thoughts on the update and if you get it any time soon in our comments section below.