Here’s a good piece of information for you all: Microsoft has finally started to rollout the latest firmware update called Lumia Denim. There is a catch, though. Most of you Lumia handset owners won’t be receiving the update until the first quarter of 2015. “The Lumia Denim update has started rolling out to a limited number of devices in selected markets, and will continue arriving in waves by device”, said Microsoft’s Adam Frasier. “A wider rollout of Lumia Denim to all Lumia smartphones running Windows Phone 8.1 is expected to begin in early January, following partner testing and approvals”.
Lumia Denim is the latest firmware update from the company for its premium Windows Phone handsets. While it too brings several handy and enticing features to the Lumia handsets, the update isn’t as significant as the Lumia Cyan update, per se. The Cyan update which rolled out earlier this year bundled the Windows Phone 8.1 software update and several Lumia exclusive features.
Denim does include much needed improvements to the imaging section. With the update, the operating system will offer features like auto HDR, dynamic flash, and 4K videos recording. Support for 4K recording, however, will only be available to the handsets that are capable of taking 4K shots. Additionally, another update to the Camera app is expected to be rolled out to Denim-powered Lumia handsets soon which will improve the boot and other operation speeds while taking a picture.
Lumia Denim update roadmap
Announced in September, the Denim update was expected to rollout by the end of this year. So far only select handsets are running it, including the Lumia 830, 735, and 730, which launched with the software update pre-installed. Recently UK mobile carrier O2 announced that it expects to rollout the Denim update next year. In China, however, several handsets including the Lumia 520, 525, and 1320 have received the update. Just this week we learned that the Lumia 525, 625 and 1320 have started to snag it in India, and several European regions.
Windows Phone chief Joe Belfiore announced today that the Lumia 928 and 922 on the Verizon network will also be getting the Windows Phone 8.1 and Denim updates starting today.
Happy Holidays WP users on Verizon! The 928 and 922 updates (WP8.1 + Denim) go live today and the ICON is on deck for early 2015.
— joebelfiore (@joebelfiore) December 19, 2014
The Icon on the same network, however, will get it early next year. Those who haven’t received it just yet, be rest assured that if your handset is a Lumia device, and it is running on at least the Windows Phone 8.0, you will get the update on your handset in foreseeable future — a future that hugely depends on your carrier, and region as well.
Further reading: Denim, Lumia Denim, Microsoft, Windows Phone, Windows Phone 8.1
