Nokia enhances user experience on its Lumia range of smartphones through the Amber software update

Nokia is enhancing the user experience on its Lumia range of smartphones with the rollout of a software update which will see the devices deliver a wide range of improved features and mobile applications. 

Some of the new features being introduced with the Nokia Lumia Amber software update include Nokia Glance Screen with the standby clock, a new FM radio player* and better imaging experience for Nokia Lumia owners.

Apart from the software update, Nokia has also introduced a SIM Applications app that will allow users to pin the SIM Application menu to the home screen on their Lumia smartphones. This will allow quick access to the M-Pesa and other applications embedded in the SIM card.

Initially, the M-Pesa menu was deeply buried in the operating system and required users to follow a long chain of interactions.

Commenting on the latest developments, Nokia East Africa Operative Products and Devices Manager, Kingori Gitahi, said the software update highlights Nokia’s commitment to constantly enrich the user experience on the Nokia Lumia smartphones. 

“Nokia Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8 are getting a whole lot smarter. We pride ourselves on always putting customer needs first and the new software update provides a number of significant additions and improvements to the existing features and applications like Xbox music and the Internet Explorer browser,” he said.

In terms of image processing, Gitahi pointed out that the update has significantly improved algorithms that offer better noise reduction, colour reproduction, exposure control and autofocus to every phone across the Lumia range. On the Lumia 920, controls to adjust the ISO settings of the camera from 800 to 3200 allow for even better low light performance.

The Nokia Lumia Amber Update for Windows Phone 8 devices is available in Kenya and East Africa in general and is already rolling out to all Lumia smartphones, with the exception of Lumia 520 and 720, which will be rolled out shortly. On top of the Lumia Amber update, the newly announced Nokia Pro Camera will also be available for Lumia 920 and Lumia 925.

“Perhaps one of the features that has been most requested on Nokia Lumia smartphones is Nokia Glance Screen which brings a clock to your screen when the phone is inactive, along with indicators to show battery level when running on a low battery or the phone is charging, and whether your phone is set to silent’” he said.

With the update, users can activate the Nokia Glance screen in the display and touch section in Settings by swiping left to ‘glance’. Nokia Glance screen will be available for all WP8 Lumia devices except the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 625, which have a smaller display memory.

Important instructions for updating your software:

• Make sure your phone is fully charged or connected to the charger.
• Connect to a Wi-Fi network
•  Go to settings>Phone update>Check for updates
• Note that the update could take 15 to 20 minutes and you will not be able to use the phone during the update process.
• Do not interfere with the phone during the update process.

*FM radio not available for Nokia Lumia 620