Windows Phone 8.1 users are in for some good news, as Microsoft has officially started rolling out the Lumia Denim update to various devices.
The much-touted Lumia Denim update will bring a number of new features and improvements to the table, aiming to enhance the overall experience. Microsoft has finally announced that it started rolling out the update, and more Windows Phone 8.1 devices should get it soon enough.
"Please give a warm welcome to Lumia Denim, the latest Windows Phone 8.1 update!" Microsoft touted in a post on the Lumia Conversations blog.
"First, there was Lumia Amber. Then came Lumia Black and Lumia Cyan. Now Lumia Denim, our newest update, has started rolling out and will soon be available for your Lumia," further touts the announcement.
Lumia Denim will combine the latest Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 with premium, exclusive Lumia innovations, bringing several exciting features to the Lumia lineup.
One of the highlights of this new update is Cortana, Microsoft's own digital assistant and answer to Apple's Siri and Google Now. Cortana will hit eligible devices in markets where it's already available, i.e. the U.S., China, and the UK in "beta" mode, and Australia, Canada, India, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain, in "alpha." Lumia Denim also brings voice activation for Cortana, enabling users to wake their device from idle state simply by saying "Hey Cortana."
Live Folders is also coming with the latest Lumia Denim update, allowing users to easily organize their apps into folders on the Start screen to find and access them in a more convenient manner. Moreover, the freshly-updated Glance Screen will now show fitness, as well as other health-related activity from MSN's Health and Fitness app.
Consumer VPN is also among the key features of Lumia Denim, aiming to boost the safety and security of the Windows Phone 8.1 device when connected to public, unprotected Wi-Fi networks.
Lumia Denim also improves the capabilities of Internet Explorer (IE), which will now enable users to browse and connect faster, while also enjoying higher download speeds on mobile websites.
Lastly, the popular Lumia Icon, Lumia 1520, Lumia 930, and Lumia 830 will also get an upgraded Lumia Camera thanks to the Lumia Denim update. According to Microsoft, the updated camera app now delivers "images of the highest quality at the fastest speed with only milliseconds between shots."
Lumia Denim has already started rolling out, but only to a limited number of devices in select markets. Microsoft said the update rollout will continue to expand in waves by device, with a wider rollout set to start this month. All smartphones running Windows Phone 8.1 should get the new Lumia Denim, and device owners can check the update's availability here to see when their handset will get the treat. To learn more about what Lumia Denim has to bring to the table, watch the video below.
