Microsoft is offering a new upgrade for all Nokia Lumia phone users called "Cyan."
The new upgrade is part of a broader Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 update. The update will include exclusive new features.
Sources report the update, set to be released Tuesday, should be eventually updated on all Nokia Lumia models worldwide within weeks. Microsoft's Windows Phone is lagging quite a bit behind in popularity, compared to its major competitors, Google's Android and Apple's iPhone. BlackBerry doesn't figure in as much in the discussion, other than for business users.
Some of the features included in the new Lumia upgrade include a more simple version of the camera app, easier access to editing and sharing and even full resolution zooming. These are features that many Lumia users have been waiting for.
A third column of Live Tiles was also reportedly added as part of the upgrade. Users will be able to further personalize their menu displays.
Nokia is also reportedly adding a "device hub" feature, which will allow for easier access between devices. In addition, to Nokia's custom features, Windows Phone 8.1 will have its own handy upgrades. Those include a Word Flow keyboard that lets users swipe across the screen to produce words and Microsoft's much hyped Cortana voice assistant.
Another source reports that the Microsoft store is also selling an unlocked version of the Nokia Lumia 1020 PureView. The phone will have the included update and will be available for around $550.
The 1020 reportedly boasts features such as a 4.5-inch AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass 3 front panel including software to improve sensitivity with gloves, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 32GB storage space. The device, however, does not include a microSD slot for adding storage. That might be a downside with such high specification video recording capabilities.
The camera on the phone is quite advanced, as sources report. It employs a Carl Zeiss lens capable of taking stunning photos for a phone. It has a 38 megapixel camera sensor with backside illumination. The camera app will allow users manual control over advanced settings such as shutter speed, white balance and ISO. It even offers the capability to manually focus on an object, a major stride in camera phone products.
