Wednesday, 7 August 2013

Nokia Lumia Amber Update Leaks Online; OTA update imminent

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The Nokia Lumia Amber Update or the PR 2.0 has been leaked into the internet and is ready for download for all the die-hard enthusiasts. Nokia pushed out the update on their servers at the beginning of the week and thereafter, the news soon popped out. What this means is that the OTA will be imminent and we can expect it around the corner of this week or the next.

The French Nokia Lumia phones are already receiving the OTA update it seems according to a tweet from a Nokia correspondent. Hence, we can expect the arrival of OTA across the rest of the world anytime soon.


The Amber Update or the PR 2.0 contains cool new features along with the Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update. GDR2 is already rolling out to Samsung's Ativ series as well as to HTC Windows Phones. Nokia users are sadly late in getting the update possibly due to the buffed up package of Amber.

Don't want to wait? Flash the ROM!


If you're not typically the kind of a patient user or if you are a hardcore junkie who loves to tinker with stuff, then you can certainly flash the Amber ROMs which are available on the Nokia Servers through some mediocre steps. It's easy to do but this is not at all recommended.

If you're willing and daring, then head over to the NokiaViews website to get detailed instructions on flashing the ROMs on your Nokia Lumia.
Note that flashing a ROM on your phone will wipe all the data from your phone. If you're using a carrier branded version, then download the carrier branded ROM from the Nokia servers. If you install any other version of the ROM, you will lose all the exclusives. Please ensure the version you are using and please have a good knowledge of your phone before proceeding. Most importantly, you are doing this at your own risk.

What is Lumia Amber Update?


For the curious ones, the Lumia Amber Update is a set of updates provided by Nokia along with the official Windows Phone 8 GDR2 update which brings along great new features to your phone as well as improves the stability of the phone to a higher level. Before we get into the Amber Update, let's talk about GDR2.

GDR2 contains fixes and improvements for the existing version of the Windows Phone 8 OS. GDR2 also adds a couple of new cool stuff including Data Sense, FM Radio, Xbox Music fixes etc. In detail, given below are the stuff coming with the GDR2 update.
  • Xbox Music -- Detailed metadata about the artists, songs and albums. Other minor fixes and improvements.
  • FM Radio -- Finally, with GDR2, existing phones with antennas built-in can listen to FM Radio inside Xbox Music.
  • Data Sense -- Lets you manage and track the usage of mobile data. Hence, its an easy way to keep track of the expenses of mobile data. You can even set limits on mobile data and there are many other options to help you manage your investments in mobile data. However, not all mobile operators support Data Sense in the present.
  • Improvements in Skype with the addition of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and Lync. Improved Internet Explorer experience. Other minor improvements.
Now, lets come back to Amber.

The Nokia Glance Screen in Lumia 925 --  a feature of Amber.

Nokia has added tons of great new features along with the GDR2 in Amber package. Many of these features are like the ones you've seen in the Nokia Lumia 925 which comes pre-installed with the Amber. Let's take a look at the many new things that's coming with the Amber update for Nokia Lumia series.
  • Glance Screen -- This is a great new feature for devices with Nokia's ClearBlack display. In short, this is a quick notifications area with the clock and some small indicators. The Glance Screen also helps in extending the battery life by turning off the backlight.
  • Smart Camera -- The Nokia Smart Camera app will be available for download once you get the Amber update. Smart Camera app has a lot of cool camera tricks, filters and effects that will enhance the photography experience. Some of the new features include Best Shot, Sequence Capture etc.
  • Pro Camera -- This will give you advanced control over the camera to create fine pictures. Pro Camera will be available for all Nokia Lumia 92Xs.
  • FM Radio -- Already included in the GDR2 update.
  • You can now flip to silence the phone.
  • Data Sense -- Already included in the GDR2 update.
  • Improvements with Nokia Here Services. The Here apps will be much more integrated with the OS than before.
  • Enriched web services for operators, other minor improvements.
So, that winds up the portfolio of the Nokia Amber update. Pretty cool features, huh?


This time, I've decided not to flash the phone as I've never flashed my Lumia 920 before. Its not because I'm scared. I did flash my mom's Lumia 610 to Windows Phone 7.8 before and I do have the guts to do it again. Its just because I don't want to backup stuff and wipe off the phone as it'll be a tiring work to restore everything back again. Plus, I managed to get some paid apps for free a few months ago during the promos and offers and if I flash the phone, I'll lose all of them.

So, I'll just wait for the OTA update. It'll be available very soon as some countries already started receiving the OTA update like France and the GDR2 is being rolled out to other Windows Phone brands like Samsung and HTC.

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