This is all you need to know about Lumia Denim

Over the last few days we have seen Lumia Denim finally starting to reach our smartphones with Windows Phone, after a wait of a couple of months from the date of your announcement. In Xataka Windows we have already talked enough about the subject, trying to answer questions and inform about the news related to this update.

Therefore, for the convenience of all our readers, we have created this compilation, in question and answer format, where we seek to group a single article all the relevant information about this long-awaited update, and we also add other useful information about which many users may have doubts.

What is Lumia Denim?

Lumia Denim is the latest update for Lumia smartphones from Nokia and Microsoft, launched in September this year at IFA 2014 , and which includes all the new features of the latest version of Windows Phone (Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1) and also firmware and software news specific to Lumia phones.

"

The name Denim>color names in English in alphabetical order (before Denim came Amber, Black and Cyan, followed by Emerald). "

Who can upgrade to Lumia Denim?

All Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8 or 8.1 will sooner or later be able to upgrade to Lumia Denim. The only Lumia that will not receive the update will be those with Windows Phone 7.x (for example, the Lumia 505, 610, 710, 800 and 900), since for hardware reasons (their processor is a single core) they are not compatible with any version of Windows Phone later than 7.8.

When is the Denim update coming to my Lumia?

Lumia Denim is already being distributed at the moment, but it is doing so gradually, reaching different combinations of teams-operators as you become certified by the latter.

The above implies that there is no exact date for the arrival of Lumia Denim on each device, but rather the update will be released gradually to different models during the months of December and January. Every day more and more combinations of models and telephone operators are added for which Denim is already available. In these lists we can check if our Lumia is among the lucky ones, or if we still have to wait a little longer.

According to Microsoft itself, the distribution of Denim will accelerate during the month of January, so if our phone still does not receive the update there is no reason to worryas we will most likely be able to update within a couple more weeks.

What can I do to make installing Lumia Denim easier?

If the update is not yet available to our device, the only thing we can do in advance is make sure we have at least 1 GB of free space on the phone(not considering the SD card). If we have less space than that by the time Lumia Denim arrives, we won't be allowed to continue with the installation until we've managed to free up that required GB.

Some easy ways to free up space are Move apps, photos, and videos to the device's SD card (if we have one), or copy videos and photos to OneDrive and then delete them from your phone.

In the event that even with these methods we are not able to free up enough space, we can also delete applications and reinstall them after updating The Windows Phone Store keeps a list of the applications that we have bought and allows us to re-download them as many times as we want, so there is no problem in that regard. Of course, the personal information stored in these applications will be lost when uninstalling them, so we must check that there is no sensitive data in the apps that we will eliminate, or, that these data are backed up in a cloud service.

If I have a Windows Phone that is not Lumia, will I be able to access the news from Lumia Denim?

Yes, but only to some. As explained in the first question, Lumia Denim groups both specific news for Lumia phones (firmware) and updates to the operating system itself, which correspond to Update 1 of Windows Phone 8.1.

All Changes corresponding to Update 1 should be available to all terminals with Windows Phone 8 or higher (if ever becomes not the case, it will be simply due to the manufacturer's negligence).

Without going any further, BLU phones with Windows Phone have already received Update 1, while HTC's flagship, the One M8 for Windows, has no need to update because it already comes with Update 1 factory installed.

What's new in Lumia Denim?

To begin with, it brings all the new features of Windows Phone Update 1. These alone are many, and in Xataka Windows we have commented on them in a scattered way as they have come to light, so we have compiled them below:

Live Tiles Folders

It will now be possible to create folders that group multiple live tiles in a single tile on the Home screen.To do this we will only have to hold down one tile and then place it just above another (in the same way as folders are created in iOS). Later we can indicate the name of the folder, and we can also continue adding live tiles to it just by repeating the previous procedure.

It is true that before there were already applications in the store that allowed us to group several apps in a single live tile, but with Lumia Denim this is implemented in a better way , since when selecting a folder its contents are displayed directly on the home screen, without having to open another application, as was the case before.

In addition, in the Lumia Denim folders we can add any type of live tile, even those that correspond to specific functions within an application. And finally, these folders also stand out for they respect the distribution and size that we have assigned to the live tiles contained within them.

Internet Explorer pretends to be Safari to load web pages better

One of the problems so far with mobile Internet Explorer is that, although the browser is capable of displaying most web pages and services correctly, many times they are displayed incorrectly (for example , Twitter) because web developers implemented features with commands unique to WebKit browsers (such as Safari and Chrome), even though equivalent standard commands exist for which Internet Explorer supports.

To prevent this, since Update 1 Internet Explorer identifies itself as a WebKit browser in order to receive the full code of mobile web pages. Furthermore, it interprets the APIs that are intended exclusively for WebKit, executing in response the equivalent commands that are supported by it.

All this means that, with Update 1, we will have a much better browsing experience using web apps and websites mobile phones.

Time will update automatically thanks to NTP support

Another useful addition is support for NTP (Network Time Protocol), which allows the phone to communicate with servers in order to Check that the local time is correct according to official data.

This feature has been around for over a decade on Windows desktop, where synchronization is done with the server time.windows.comWhen this improvement is incorporated into Windows Phone we will be able to enjoy greater accuracy in the computer's clock, without having to adjust it manually.

App Store Improvements: Apps Corner and a new Live Tile

The Windows Phone Store is also modernized in this Update 1 with a couple of interesting changes. On the one hand, there is the Live Tile of the store, which from now on will show featured applications, which will rotate every 6 hours. Thus we can keep up to date with the main news of the store without even having to enter it.

And on the other hand we have a Apps Corner, a special mode that allows you to limit the use of the phone to certain specific applications, which will result very useful for business environments where you do not want employees or customers to have access to all the information on the device. Apps Corner even allows the phone to start up by going directly to a particular app (for example, an inventory app, in case the device is locked up). hand over to people who must perform that task).

A new Live Tile for Xbox Music

While most improvements to Xbox Music can now be implemented with targeted updates to the application itself, independent of the operating system, there are still some items that require system updates to change.

One of them seems to be the application's Live Tile, which had to wait for Update 1 to recover the animation with photos of the artist being playedthat we enjoyed on Windows Phone 7 and 8.

And as reported by Microsoft, with Update 1 we could also see performance improvements of the player. If so, they are welcome (since they are sorely needed).

It is now possible to activate/deactivate mobile data directly from the Action Center

In Windows Phone 8.1 (and Lumia Cyan) the Action Center or notification center was introduced, from where we can anchor certain notification options frequently used, such as adjusting brightness or airplane mode, so you can access them without having to enter the setup menu.

Now with Update 1 the number of system options that can be pinned to the Action Center is increased. Specifically, we are allowed to pin the mobile data menu, from where you can activate or deactivate the connection to the cellular network, or also change the maximum speed to the which we can connect (2G, 3G, 4G).

"

Dot View Holster Holder>"

This change doesn't apply much to current Lumia phones, but it's included in Update 1 anyway, so we'll talk about it anyway.It's about support for new features and hardware configurations, such as the Dot View skin, which is unique to HTC phones, and screen resolutions of 1280x800 and 540x960.

Support is also added for the operating system buttons to be displayed on the screen (something that already happens in some Lumia, such as the 530), and for using Windows Phone on computers without phone function and with screens up to 7 inches (ie use Windows Phone as a tablet operating system).

None of these changes benefit current users, they only allow manufacturers to release new types of devices with Microsoft OS.

Future updates can be installed using free space on the SD card

As we mentioned above, each Windows Phone update requires us to have approximately 1 GB of free space on the main drive of the computer to be able to settleWith Update 1 that will change, and we will be able to make use of free space on microSD cards when installing future updates (such as Update 2).

This will especially benefit users of phones like the Lumia 530, who have very little space on their main drive (only 4GB).

Note that this enhancement will only be available for 3rd generation Lumia (530, 535, 630, 635, 730, 735 and 830), leaving out older devices that have an SD slot, such as the 1520, 820, 720, 620, 625 and 520.

Support for fast charging via Quickcharge 2.0

Thanks to Update 1 all those who have computers with Snapdragon 800 processors (Lumia 930, 1520 and HTC One M8) will be able to use chargers with the standard Quickcharge 2.0 to enjoy much faster charging.According to data from Qualcomm, the company that created this standard, those who use it could reach a full charge in just 96 minutes

Alarm improvements

Until Windows Phone 8.1, the alarms function only allowed a snooze time of exactly 10 minutes, neither more nor less, but with Update 1 said period will be customizable , allowing us to choose between 5, 10, 20, 30 or 60 minutes delay for each time we postpone the alert.

VPN for everyone

With Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, any user will be able to create their own VPN, or virtual private network, to better protect their privacy when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network. This function can also be used in home networks, where it is achieved that none of the other devices in the house can access the phone from which we are connecting.

Selection of multiple SMS

Added the option to select several SMS messages at once, in order to delete or forward them all together. This function would also be extended to the Phone application, where we could make multiple selections within the call history.

Support for dual SIM with different types of networks

From Windows Phone 8.1 there was already support for terminals with dual SIM, thanks to which it was possible to launch several Lumia devices that offered this characteristic. Now, with Update 1, the restriction that both SIM cards must correspond to the same type of network (GSM or CDMA) is eliminated, allowing one SIM card of each type to be used in the same terminal.

Increased compatibility with smartwatches

The possibility has been added for devices such as smarwatches or quantifying bracelets (such as Fitbit) to be able to send notifications to the phone via Bluetooth, which is currently not allowed.

What's new specifically for Lumia phones

Having already reviewed one by one all the new features included in Update 1, now we will comment on those changes that are exclusive to Nokia/Microsoft Lumia terminals.

4K video recording and moment capture

This is a feature that will come with Lumia Camera 5, and will be available only for the High-end Lumia: 930, Icon and 1520When activated we can record video with 4K resolution at 24 frames per second, also gaining the possibility of saving photographs directly from the recording, since each box will be equivalent to an 8.3 megapixel image.

The Lumia 830 will also have photo capture from video recording, but it will not have support for 4K recording, so the frames that we save with this equipment will be only 2 megapixels.

"Voice activation by Cortana (Hey, Cortana)"

"

Another very striking novelty of Lumia Denim is the permanent listening to Cortana thanks to the SensorCore function of the latest Lumia devices. Thanks to it, we can invoke Microsoft&39;s voice assistant just by saying the phrase Hey, Cortana>"

According to official information released by Microsoft, Cortana voice activation will be available only on the Lumia 930, Icon and 1520 , that is, those with Snapdragon 800 processor ( although those with Snapdragon 400 also have the SensorCore feature).

Better imaging algorithms, rich capture and dynamic flash

"

The Lumia Denim camera app will also include a new photography mode called enriched capture (Rich Capture), which seeks to avoid us the annoyance of having to adjust camera options before taking a photo.Instead, Lumia Denim&39;s camera analyzes the scene you&39;re focusing on, and captures multiple images at different settings, which it then stitches together using Auto HDR and Dynamic Exposure to create a single photo. perfect, and allowing us to adjust the level of HDR effect that we want to use through a slider located on the side of the screen."

The rich capture in turn offers us a function called dynamic flash, which comes into action every time we have activated the modeRich Capture and we also have activated the flash of the equipment. As with normal rich capture, the phone takes multiple photos, but with the difference that here some of those photos have a flash and some don't Thanks to that , we can later choose the precise level of lighting that we want the final photo to have.

And even if we don't activate rich capture, our photos will still be of better quality, since Denim also incorporates new image algorithms which, according to Microsoft, will give us better results when taking photos in low light.

Faster camera speed

As if all of the above were not enough, Lumia Denim will also improve camera capture times, getting just 42 seconds to elapse milliseconds from when we press the button to take the photo until it is saved on the computer, thus achieving a sensation similar to those transmitted by the iPhone or Sony Xperia cameras.

Unfortunately, both this and all the photographic news of Denim apply only to the Lumia 830, 930, Icon and 1520, leaving out the famous Lumia 1020( although we cannot rule out another update that will allow you to enjoy some of these features in the future).

Support for high-quality audio via Bluetooth

To close the list of news, we will mention something that, although it was never announced by Microsoft, has been officially confirmed thanks to a mention in the official FAQ for Lumia phones.This is support for streaming high-quality audio to headphones and speakers via Bluetooth, making using the aptX codec.

This feature will be available on all Lumia, but in order to take advantage of it we will also have to have headphones or speakers compatible with this codec.

There are probably other minor developments that we miss, as there is no official full changelog. If you know of any other confirmed news that is included in Lumia Denim, do not hesitate to let us know in the comments so we can add it to the list.

What will come after Lumia Denim?

Microsoft has already announced that there will be another update for Windows Phone 8.1 after Update 1. This will be called Update 2, and it will include news such as support for displays with QHD resolution (2560 x 1440) and Snapdragon 805 processors.

Also, support will be added for new Bluetooth profiles that will allow the use of wireless keyboards, and the design of the options menu will be improved , as long as it looks neater and easier to navigate.

For Lumia phones these news would be part of the Lumia Emerald update, about which we have no further information. Even so, guided by the dates of other releases, we can conclude that Emerald should start shipping between April and May 2015

After that will come Windows 10 for mobile, about which we have even less information, except that it will be available for all Windows computers Phone 8.x, which will be released around September 2015.

Fonts | Paul Thurrott, Blogging Windows, Lumia Conversations, Windows Central