The Windows Phone Amber Update For Nokia Lumia Smartphones

Nokia recently rolled-out the Nokia Lumia Amber update for smartphones running Windows Phone 8. It promised a better and smarter experience for users, but for how far they it went, quite remarkable I would say. It was built base on users comments and feedback's with innovations on the sideline. Microsoft on the other hand also provided numerous significant additions to the software, here are the rundowns.

Improved image processing

The update brings significantly improved algorithms that offer better noise reduction, color reproduction, exposure control and auto-focus 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.

Nokia Smart Camera

Debuted on the Nokia Lumia 925, this new camera app is ideal for taking pictures involving people and movement. Users can now get the app from the Store after downloading Lumia Amber update.

The app brings a slew of different options – use Best Shot to find the sharpest image from a series of 10; combine several shots of people in movement into one with Action Shot; heighten the appearance of speed by blurring the background with Motion Focus; create ideal group shots by choosing the best faces from a series with Change Faces, or remove unwanted objects from pictures.

But the app's performance was scaled according to the capabilities of your device. On the Nokia Lumia 720, 620 and 520, the burst mode used for some effects takes seven pictures rather than ten, and these are a lower resolution than on devices with more RAM (one-megapixel rather than five). Still great for social sharing on the Web.

Nokia Camera Pro

The newly announced Nokia Pro Camera was also made available for Lumia 920, Lumia 925, and Lumia 928. With the app, users can edit images fast and transform them creatively to taste.

 Nokia Video Trimmer and Nokia Video Uploader

Nokia Video Trimmer app is one among the new feature of the update that is capable or trimming taken videos easily without fuss.The said video could then be uploaded straight to youTube and the rest of the video hosting site via the Nokia Video Uploader.

Nokia Glance Screen

By public clamor, Nokia finally released the Sleeping Screen for Symbian counter part, the Nokia Glance Screen that brings a clock to the phone's screen during inactive mode, 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’.

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.

Flip to silence and double-tap to unlock

Another two favorite features from Nokia Symbian phones were the Flipping to silence feature and the double tap to unlock gesture. Flipping the phone over is a great and easy way to mute the incoming call. Double tapping the screen on the other hand is something many people prefer to using the unlock key. Both of these features were optional.

Storage Check and faster map updates.

Storage check is an app that will help free up and manage phone memory while the Nokia Maps could now be updated freely without the need the re-install the whole country anew.

The update covers the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 as well as Lumia 521, Lumia 810, and Lumia 928 in the US, and the global versions of Lumia 520, Lumia 620 and Lumia 720.

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Nokia Lumia 520, Now The Worlds Most Popular WIndows Phone Handset

That's according to the latest data released by Kantar WorldPanel covering the second quarter of 2013. The device tops the Windows Phone charts across the European and American continents and growing significantly popular worldwide displacing the Nokia Lumia 920 at the top.

With the phones price range, specifications and features, it can really attract people from all walks of life, as a primary phone among first time smartphone users, students or young professionals; as a secondary phone for high end consumers; or for anyone curious about Windows Phone as a software.

The Nokia Lumia 520 delivers the best affordable smartphone experience with its 4”IPS LCD WVGA Super sensitive touchscreen, 1 Ghz Dual core Snapdragon processor, 8GB of internal mass memory, 5MP camera with many of the same digital camera lenses from its high end siblings, Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot, Panorama, free global maps and navigation from HERE, free music streaming via Nokia Music, 7GB of online SkyDrive storage, Xbox, Microsoft Office with Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and so much more.

In the Philippines, the Nokia Lumia 520 could not be brought within the PhP7,500.00 - 7,990.00 price range or FREE at Globe My SuperPlan 499 or Sun Plan 600. 

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Win A Nokia Lumia Of Your Choice! Save This Date... May 1, 2013

Lumia 920, 820, 720, 620 or 520, which one would you switch to?

Exciting event up ahead tomorrow, May 1, 2013, as Nokia Philippines will give everyone a chance to own a Nokia Lumia of their choice by simply telling them why you want to #SwitchToLumia.

All the action is going to happen on their Twitter page (www.twitter.com/nokiapilipinas), so make sure you follow them!

I'm definitely joining and so good luck to us. May the best one wins! :)

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Nokia Lumia 720 and 520, Now In The Philippines

The Mobile World Congress 2013 announced Nokia Windows Phone tandem, the Lumia 720 and Lumia 520, are now officially available in mobilephone stores across the archipelago. 

Official price of the Nokia Lumia 720 in flagship stores is PhP14,440.00 while the Nokia Lumia 520 costs at about PhP7,900.00. The rest of the retail stores offer both phones at about PhP450.00 less.

The Nokia Lumia 720 is considered the best value Windows Phone 8 to date, even with its affordable prize, the phone had the following specs to brag; sleek and stylish award-winning unibody design; curved 4.3” Clear Black Display with super sensitive touch; 6.7MP Carl Zeiss optics with an aperture of f1.9, the largest among Nokia breeds which has the ability to deliver sharp, clear pictures day or night; LED flash; HD-quality 1.3MP wide angle lens front facing camera; Nokia digital camera lenses including Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot and Glam Me; HERE suite of applications, including HERE Maps, HERE Drive for free turn by turn navigation and HERE Transit; Nokia Music offering unlimited music streaming and the ability to download playlists to listen offline; an optional wireless charging shell; NFC support, WIFI, 1.0 GHz Dual-core Snapdragon S4; 8GB of internal memory with 7GB free SkyDrive memory; among others.

The Nokia Lumia 520 on the other hand is the most affordable Windows Phone to date but being the cheapest doesn't mean the worst, it has the following specs that is a cut above the rest in its market bracket; a sleek and stylish award-winning unibody design; 4.0" super sensitive touchscreen; 5.0MP autofocus camera; Nokia digital camera lenses including Cinemagraph, Smart Shoot and Glam Me; HERE suite of applications, including HERE Maps, HERE Drive and HERE Transit; Nokia Music; WIFI; 1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon; 8GB of internal memory with 7GB free SkyDrive memory; among others.

The two phones though had a limited unit availability yet so better grab one as soon as you can before it runs out of stocks.

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New Nokia Lumia 520 delivers a better affordable smartphone experience

Nokia introduced the new affordable Nokia Lumia 520, delivering a rich selection of high end innovations taken from the Nokia Lumia 920 and Nokia Lumia 820. Powered by Windows Phone 8, this fun and colorful addition to the Nokia Lumia family contains many of the same digital camera lenses as its high end siblings, as well as maps and navigation from HERE, free music streaming and a four inch super sensitive touchscreen for a highly immersive smartphone experience.

Digital camera lenses transform the five-megapixel autofocus camera on the Nokia Lumia520 into a fun way to capture pictures and share memories. Cinemagraph adds motion to still images that can then be shared with friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. Smart Shoot lets people create the perfect group picture, taking multiple images and selecting the best facial expressions from each or even remove people from the shot. The easy to use Panorama lens captures super-wide-angled photos to take in more of the scene.

The Nokia Lumia520 also comes with Nokia Music, providing free, unlimited streaming of music without the need for registration, sign on or listening to ads. This free service makes it possible to build playlists based on favorite artists and download up to four playlists for listening offline.

Free global HERE maps from Nokia’s HERE location cloud mean never getting lost. True offline maps allow exploring without expensive data costs, particularly when roaming. HERE Drive and HERE Transit make it easy to navigate to any destination by car or public transport.

With Windows Phone 8, Nokia Lumia 520 also provides a more personal smartphone experience. Pinning playlists, HERE routes, Web-pages and documents direct to the Start Screen as Live Tiles makes it easier to access favorite content, while PeopleHub brings all social media notifications and messages into one convenient location. With Xbox, 7GB of free online SkyDrive storage as well as Microsoft Office with Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint available out of the box, Windows Phone 8 makes the Nokia Lumia520 one of the most powerful smartphones at this price point.With an 8GB mass memory and expandable 64GB memory slot, Nokia Lumia 520 also allows to store a wealth of contact created and collected.

All these great experiences come at an estimated starting price of €139 (PhP7,500) before taxes and subsidies.

If you can’t wait to get your hands on the Nokia Lumia 520, it’s planned to start shipping already in March – arriving first in Hong Kong and Vietnam, but it will quickly start to reach more markets around Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. It will even be coming to the US with T-Mobile and to China with China Mobile as the latest smartphone from Nokia to be sold by the world’s largest mobile operator.

Operating system	Windows Phone 8
HERE maps and location experiences	Free* global HERE Maps, free regional HERE Drive, and free HERE Transit (data charges may apply)
Display	4”IPS LCD WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) 16M colors, Super sensitive touch for nail and glove use
Battery	1430 mAh
Processor	1 GHz Dual Core Snapdragon™
Camera	5 MP autofocus video recording HD 720p 30fps
Memory	512 MB RAM; 8GB mass memory; Support for micro SD cards up to 64GB;7GB free SkyDrive storage

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Nokia Unveils More Innovations At The Mobile World Congress 2013

Nokia today, announced their plans to extend high-end innovations to more people in more markets; four new devices that would bring innovation to new price points; Nokia's HERE location suite for non-Nokia phones in the Windows Phone ecosystem; new developer partnerships that use Nokia expertise in imaging, location and entertainment to deliver exclusive application experiences; and finally, Nokia and Microsoft combined strength in the enterprise sector to bring more business customers to Windows Phone.

Nokia Lumia 720 and Nokia Lumia 520 expand Nokia's Windows Phone 8 portfolio

The Nokia Lumia 720 delivers a high-end camera performance at a mid-range price point. A large f/1.9 aperture and exclusive Carl Zeiss optics are designed to deliver bright, clear pictures day and night, while the HD-quality, wide-angle front-facing camera makes taking pictures with friends and video calling more enjoyable. The sleek and stylish smartphone comes with the latest high-end Nokia Lumia experiences, including Nokia Music, the HERE location suite, and the option to add wireless charging with a snap-on wireless charging cover.

Nokia Lumia 520

The Nokia Lumia 720 comes in five colors, with an estimated starting price of EUR 249 before taxes and subsidies. Rollout is planned to start in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore in Q1 2013, before continuing into broader markets in Q2, including China as well as key markets in Europe, Asia, Africa and India.

The Nokia Lumia 520 is Nokia's most affordable Windows Phone 8 smartphone, delivering experiences normally only found in high-end smartphones, such as the same digital camera lenses found on the flagship Nokia Lumia 920, Nokia Music for free music out of the box and even offline, and the HERE location suite. A four-inch super sensitive touchscreen makes for a more responsive and immersive content experience than can usually be found at this price.

The Nokia Lumia 520 comes in five colors, with an estimated starting price of EUR 139, before taxes and subsidies. Roll-out is planned to begin in Q1 2013 in Hong Kong and Vietnam, before expanding broadly in Q2 to markets in Europe, Asia - including China and India - Latin America and Africa. The Nokia Lumia 520 is also planned to roll out in the United States with T-Mobile.

Nokia also announced that following the launch of the Nokia Lumia 920T by China Mobile last year, the world's biggest mobile operator would bring the Nokia Lumia 720 and the Nokia Lumia 520 to China. Further details on exact availability will be announced in due course.

Nokia 105 and the Nokia 301 add aspirational Lumia experiences to mobile phones

Nokia also unveiled the Nokia 105, its most affordable phone to date, and the Nokia 301, for more affordable Internet and email access, and camera experiences inspired by Nokia Lumia smartphones.

The Nokia 105 is the ideal device for the first-time phone buyer, featuring a bright color screen with clear menus and essentials like FM radio; multiple alarm clocks; speaking clock; a dust and splash-proof, pillowed key pad; and a flashlight. Its durability and up to 35-day battery life also make it ideal for people seeking a back-up device.

The Nokia 105 is available in black and cyan for a recommended price of EUR 15. It is planned to start rolling out in Q1 2013 and is expected to be gradually expanded to in China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russia, Vietnam and other markets in Africa, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

Nokia 301The colorful Nokia 301 delivers elegant design and a bold color palette, with a fast, 3.5G Internet connection and Nokia Xpress Browser preloaded for up to 90 percent more data efficiency. It is the most affordable Nokia device to offer video streaming and also comes with new smart camera features, inspired by the digital camera lenses on the Nokia Lumia smartphones.

The Nokia 301 is available in cyan, black, magenta, yellow and white for a recommended price of EUR 65. It is planned to start rolling out in Q2 2013 and is expected to be available in more than 120 countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, Middle East and Latin America.

HERE expands its reach

Nokia also announced that while HERE, its new brand for location experiences, will continue to offer first and best experiences on Lumia, HERE Maps, HERE Drive and HERE Transit would become available for non-Nokia Windows Phone smartphones in selected markets.

The new HERE Maps come with LiveSight(TM), Nokia's set of augmented-reality technologies. LiveSight(TM) uses "sight" as a fundamentally new way to discover and navigate the world, recognizing what people see through their phone's camera and layering that view with relevant, place-based information. LiveSight(TM) also powers Place Tag, a new digital lens introduced for Lumia today. Combining Nokia's unique capabilities in location and imaging, Place Tag adds location stamps to photos with relevant information about pictured places.

Developers gain access to exclusive Nokia technology

Nokia announced that with more than 130 000 applications now available on Windows Phone, it is opening up its APIs in imaging, location and music to encourage developers to build unique and innovative application experiences for Lumia. New apps from Burton, GoPro and FourSquare are already taking advantage of these opportunities, while Nokia announced a new cooperation with Dreamworks Animations SKG. The cooperation will see Dreamworks developers use Nokia APIs to deliver rich, interactive entertainment experiences, exclusively for Nokia devices, starting from the second half of 2013.


Nokia and Microsoft sharpen focus on business customers

Finally, Nokia and Microsoft are sharpening their focus on bringing business customers from competitor platforms to Windows Phone using the combined strength of Windows Phone 8 and the popular appeal of Nokia Lumia smartphones. In addition to announcing recent business wins, Nokia confirmed operators including Everything Everywhere, Elisa, Orange, Telstra and Vodafone are ranging Nokia Lumia smartphones as their business hero devices.

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