Microsoft has started a phased rollout of the new Denim update for Aussie Lumia phones running on the Windows Phone platform.
The update will roll out to all Lumia phones throughout February and March, starting with the popular Lumia 1520 and 930.
The full list of compatible devices also includes: Lumia 635, Lumia 636, Lumia 630, Lumia 830, Lumia 735, Lumia 530, Lumia 1020, Lumia 925, Lumia 820, Lumia 920, Lumia 625, Lumia 1320, Lumia 520, Lumia 720 and Lumia 620.
Owners of Lumias should be notified automatically when the update is ready to push to their phone. Impatient ‘lumiaries’ can try and move their phones up the pecking order manually by going into Settings > Phone Update > Check for Updates.
What do you get?
The Denim update will bring a bevy of enhancement to Lumia phones; some big and some small.
Probably the most exciting enhancement is the ability to wake up a phone in standby using the Voice Command ‘Hey Cortana’. This will only be available on the top-end phones, the Lumia 1520 and 930.
Phones that haven’t yet had a chance to try out the Cortana personal assistant software will be able to ‘get Siri with it’ when the Denim update rolls out to their handset. Cortana, like Apple’s Siri, is a voice-controlled search tool for Windows Phone, borrowing its name from a beloved character in the popular Halo video game series.
Microsoft is also promising a huge speed boost in camera performance in this update, claiming it takes ‘just milliseconds’ between shots. Photography should also be easy with a new Rich Capture mode, which will utilise HDR modes and Flash functions as it sees necessary. Again, these features are just for the 1520, 930 and 830.
A smaller change but with huge potential is the addition of Folders to the Live Tiles screen. Users can now bundle different apps and settings under a single heading and keep them all in view.
Joseph Hanlon
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