Microsoft has announced the release of their Windows Phone 8.1 update including the Lumia Cyan update for Nokia Lumia handsets.
The Windows 8.1 update started rolling out on June 24th but when you can expect to receive it will depend on the make and model of your phone. The Cyan update however was released on 15th July to selected Lumia handsets, so don’t panic if you haven’t received it yet, give it time!
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Microsoft stated: “The distribution of these incremental updates may be controlled by the mobile operator or the phone manufacturer from which you purchased your phone, and installation will require that your phone have any prior updates. Update availability will also vary by country, region, and hardware capabilities,”
The updates will bring a plethora of improvements and changes, pretty much all are for the better too!
The improvements include a swipe typing keyboard feature (not too dissimilar to that offered by Samsung, but we won’t mention that.) Also, notifications will now be easier to access with an update to the Action Centre introducing a pull down overlay for quick access to settings and notifications. The home screen will also use a shared background image instead of the coloured tiles like it used to be. There is also an addition which allows you to adjust the number of columns displayed on the home screen, helping it to become more suited to you.
Cortana: the one you’ve been waiting for. Currently only available in the US, Cortana was inspired by the Halo character, of the same name, and offers a similar service to that of Apple’s Siri – essentially, it’s a voice controlled personal assistant in your pocket. It is said to be coming to the UK in “late 2014” but no more information has been provided. Sorry.
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Lucky owners of the Lumia 1520 and Lumia Icon can expect to get some extra surprises in their updates too, with enhanced audio when capturing videos and better camera capabilities. They will also be provided with Microsoft Screen Share, enabling users to share content between the handset and TV.
There are also other minor updates to the stock apps including a Week View in the calendar; making it look more like Outlook on your computer, and Photo organisation, much like the iOS setup of Moments. Data Sense, Wi-Fi Sense and Storage Sense are also additions to the Lumia update.
To find out when you can expect your update, you may want to give your service provider a call for more information.
Source: The Register