It appears that the forthcoming Amber update for Nokia Windows Phones will bring support for Bluetooth 4.0 and for Bluetooth Low energy devices (Bluetooth Smart) to Nokia Lumia 520, Nokia Lumia 620 and Nokia Lumia 720 devices. This essentially implies that the phones will be able to connect and work with devices such as fitness monitors like Fitbit Flex and smart watches like Pebble, following the update.
The information was shared by Nokia at a bloggers event in Hong Kong and was first reported by Blogjackphone.com. The blog also adds that the Amber update will also enhance sharpness of pictures in the Nokia Lumia 920, improve the colour temperature of photos and focussing time, and keep photos sharp in the photo gallery even when zooming in, in addition to improving the battery life of the phone. The blog even shared before and after photos taken through the Nokia Lumia 920 smartphone prior to the update and after its deployment. Nokia Lumia 920 already supports Bluetooth 4.0.
The Amber update for Windows Phone 8 was first unveiled at the time of the launch of Nokia Lumia 925. The update, which is part of the Nokia Lumia 925’s firmware already, will bring a slew of camera features including a new Nokia Smart Camera mode that allows users to create high quality images, offering the ability to take ten shots at once and then edit them afterwards with tools and effects like Best Shot, Action Shot and Motion Focus. The update is also expected to bring ‘double tap to wake up’ lock screen gesture to some Lumia phones.
In addition to these Lumia-only features, the update will also bring features like FM radio and add CalDAV and CardDav support, which will extend support for Gmail and other Google services. It will activate FM radio in handsets that feature capable hardware. It’s interesting to note that Windows Phone 7.x supported FM radio while Windows Phone 8 did not have this feature until this update. Nokia’s new lineup of smartphones (barring the Lumia 620) sport FM hardware that will become functional after the update.
According to recent updates including a tweet by Nokia Spain’s Twitter account, the Amber update is likely to roll out in August.
