Nokia starts rollout of Windows Phone 8 Amber update for Lumia smartphones

Nokia's long-awaited Amber update for its Lumia Windows Phone 8-based smartphones has finally started rolling.

The Amber update is built upon the latest update for Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft with some exclusive features added by Nokia. The update will be applicable for current line of Lumia smartphones that includes the Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Lumia 820, Nokia Lumia 720, Nokia Lumia 620and Nokia Lumia 520.

The new Nokia Lumia Amber software update adds some new and improved features like Nokia Glance Screen with the standby clock and a better imaging experience, a new FM Radio player, improvements to Xbox Music and the default browser, Internet Explorer for Nokia Lumia users.

In a blog post, Nokia has noted the details of phones to get the Amber upgrade and what features will be included on each phone. The blog post also notes that the rollout starts now for the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in selected countries as well as the Lumia 521, Lumia 810, and Lumia 928 in the US. Exact delivery timings will vary by region, phone and operator, but Nokia says the update will reach Lumia 520, Lumia 620, Lumia 720, Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 users by the end of September.

The biggest improvement with the update is to camera capabilities of the phones that will now feature the all-new Nokia Smart Camera mode that debuted on the Nokia Lumia 925. It allows users to create high quality images and offers the ability to take ten shots at a time and then edit with tools and effects like Best Shot, Action Shot and Motion Focus.

Another addition will be the Pro Camera app that was introduced with the Lumia 1020 and it will be rolled out to Lumia 920, Lumia 925 and Lumia 928.

Other features include flip to silence, double-tap to unlock, storage check and faster map updates. Another major new feature is Glance Screen, that brings a clock to your screen when the phone is inactive, along with indicators to show the battery level when running on a low battery or the phone is charging, and whether your phone is set to 'silent'. Nokia says that Glance Screen will be available for all Windows Phone 8 Lumia devices except the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 625, which have a smaller display memory.

The Amber update is the biggest change to hit Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones since they were launched. The update was announced at the time of the launch of Nokia Lumia 925, that shipped with the update pre-installed.

We earlier reported that the Nokia Lumia phones might get the Windows Phone Amber update in August.

Nokia Lumia 825 with 5.2-inch display, quad-core processor in the works: Report

Nokia seems to be getting aggressive with its Lumia line-up as the company has unveiled three smartphones in a short span of time. Not content with launching the Lumia 925, Lumia 1020 andLumia 625, the company is apparently working on the Lumia 825 featuring 5.2-inch display.

A report in the Chinese Media first picked up by Unwired View notes that Nokia is working on its first phablet, the Lumia 825 which will be based on Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update.

According to the report, Microsoft is expected to release the GDR3 update for Windows Phone 8 soon which will enable support for quad-core processors and full-HD displays on the Windows Phone platform.

The rumoured Nokia Lumia 825 is believed to be a successor to the Lumia 820 which was launched alongside the former flagship, the Lumia 920. The site claims that the alleged Lumia 825 will be a mid-range device as it will still boast a 720p HD screen and not a full-HD display.

The site further suggests that the Lumia 825 will likely be powered by quad-core processor and the chipset may be Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 possibly clocked at 1.2GHz. Nokia is expected to release the Lumia 825 in October, the report claims.

Nokia has no doubt taken the whole Windows Phone ecosystem on its shoulders and thanks to its growing Lumia line-up, Windows Phone smartphones seem to be finally gathering some momentum. The launch of quad-core phones is the next step, something that Android and other platforms have been sporting for a while now.

Nokia has currently eight smartphones powered by Windows Phone 8 that include the Lumia 1020, Lumia 625, Lumia 925, Lumia 920, Lumia 820, Lumia720, Lumia 620 and the Lumia 520.