Lumia Users: Nokia Updating Apps preparing for 8.1 Release

[Lloydbm41]

Today I noticed that there is an update for Glance on my 1520 and the only thing it says new in this version is that it is now compatible with WP 8.1! (Looks like the release will happen on April 2nd as scheduled.)

Nokia also updated Storyteller Beta and Nokia Chat. If you want to update to the latest Glance version go here: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=106e0a97-8b19-42cf-8879-a8ed2598fcbb

Storyteller Beta: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=b0940143-e67e-4f74-8f68-16b7ad872dd2

Chat Beta: http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appId=386213a7-7cff-4e0a-b658-03646dcc6f50

 

[MRU]

Thanks for the heads up

 

[Adamsappel]

Being "Lumious"

Would you like to share your user experience of your 1020 and 1520 with us, please? My current smartphone is not exactly as smart as the name suggests. For instance, my phone's camera takes "yellow" pictures sometimes, almost as if it were edited to have a sepia effect. It takes excellent pictures when ambient light is good, otherwise it is just useless as a camera. Video shooting seems to be its camera's strong point. I cannot adjust f/stop, ISO, etc.

On the telephone side of things, it is just average and I long back to two decades of happy marriages to various Nokia phones. I have been looking for alternatives to replace my almost brand new (and already replaced under warranty) iPhone 5 and my scope is limited to Nokia and possibly Blackberry, but nothing Android within a hundred miles, please.

 

[Lloydbm41]

Would you like to share your user experience of your 1020 and 1520 with us, please? My current smartphone is not exactly as smart as the name suggests. For instance, my phone's camera takes "yellow" pictures sometimes, almost as if it were edited to have a sepia effect. It takes excellent pictures when ambient light is good, otherwise it is just useless as a camera. Video shooting seems to be its camera's strong point. I cannot adjust f/stop, ISO, etc.

On the telephone side of things, it is just average and I long back to two decades of happy marriages to various Nokia phones. I have been looking for alternatives to replace my almost brand new (and already replaced under warranty) iPhone 5 and my scope is limited to Nokia and possibly Blackberry, but nothing Android within a hundred miles, please.

Between the 2, I actually would prefer the 1020 for day to day use (although I'm using my Moto X as my current daily driver until the release of Windows Phone 8.1 next week.) The size of the 1520 really puts it in the phablet category and even for someone like me that has big hands, it is a bit unwieldy. Spec wise though, the 1520 is awesome, but nothing beats the 41mp camera on the 1020. When it comes to apps and the user interface, you will have to make compromises. There are a lot of apps that Windows Phone doesn't have from 1st party developers or they lack updates, although the list of missing apps shrinks almost daily. i.e. Foursquare just got a huge update today as an example. Also realize that if you use any Google services, you will have to use 3rd party developers to gain access to those. If you don't use any, you are good.
UI wise, things are about to change for the better. With 8.1 we are getting a Notification Center, Cortana aka Siri/Google Now equivalent, customizable homescreen backgrounds with parallax view, new app store look and feel, and more. And of course, Windows Phone 8 is lag-free, fast, smooth and just a really nice OS to use. (Check out http://www.wpcentral.com/ if you haven't already.

That said, I would highly recommend waiting for this coming weeks announcement from Nokia on the 2 new phones they are going to release (likely the new flagship phone which is probably the 930 and a mid-spec phone the 630).

Below you can see a comparison shot of the size of the various Lumia phones I have. From left to right is the 520, 1020 and 1520. The 520 is the size of the iPhone 5.

 

[Adamsappel]

Luminosity

UI wise, things are about to change for the better. With 8.1 we are getting a Notification Center, Cortana aka Siri/Google Now equivalent, customizable homescreen backgrounds with parallax view, new app store look and feel, and more. And of course, Windows Phone 8 is lag-free, fast, smooth and just a really nice OS to use. (Check out http://www.wpcentral.com/ if you haven't already.

Thanks for the heads-up. I somehow anticipated the 1020 to be the best wingman around. Apps: these are best avoided unless really necessary. My bit of homework done on the world of Android gave me cold shivers as the approved apps seem to contain all sorts of spyware, at the very least access way too much user data and reporting same to its own anonymous partners-in-crime. I just need a phone, plus MS Office on it and that is about it. If it has a compass that knows where North is, unlike iPhone 5/5c/5s, we are good. (If I have to believe my iPhone's compass, earth is tumbling crazily in space.) And, of course, a proper camera. I ached for a phone with a good camera, got an iPhone 5 and I am still aching.

Battery life is also important but not end of the world. If I need to recharge once a day or perhaps after 8 hours, it is OK. Presently, I am recharging every 2-3 hours after iOS 7 and its various updates to 7.1 saw battery life decline.

Siri: I am not English but that tinned lady only seems to be able to do American English as the very English people around me seem to have met their Nemesis here. I have not tried mine, even, as I already have to do enough maintenance on my Apple ecosystem daily to keep it running smooth or, rather, to coax it back into a useful life.

I have retired from ICT early 2000, after my Y2K project went smooth and I could go have a life. Having started out in 1977, fooling around with electronics, computers and a bit of programming, then a career in finance and ICT, I still try to remain sort of current. From around 2007 until recently, I also hacked into Linux a bit and enjoyed learning a bit, but shelved it when Evolution, Syncevolution and my Nokia E63 would not sync any longer. At my age, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. All I now need is a reliable pocket mate that won't roll over and die after every update it receives.

Windows 8 on my former laptop impressed with its stability, very low demand on resources and ease of use. Classic Shell was installed even before I installed MS Office. Win 8/8.1 seems good for touch screens and the mobile equivalent should therefore be a smooth operator. Critics whine all day long but my only gripe with Win 8 was that its own apps were not Windows and very static. I just installed my own apps and worked from the desktop. No problem.

I am going to make my migration back to Windows a leisurely one, as I have just about expended all the energy I had left for computing. No rush, easy does it.

I see there are some nifty extras to be found for Lumia, such as a lens kit, tripod, etc. I like that!

 

[MRU]

Thanks for the heads-up. I somehow anticipated the 1020 to be the best wingman around. Apps: these are best avoided unless really necessary. My bit of homework done on the world of Android gave me cold shivers as the approved apps seem to contain all sorts of spyware, at the very least access way too much user data and reporting same to its own anonymous partners-in-crime. I just need a phone, plus MS Office on it and that is about it. .

Your research into Android needs to move up to date because where Android is now is much closer to Apple. Yes there are still the odd story of an app which is dodgy, but generally this is the exception rather than the rule.

Apps are not something to be avoided on ANY smartphone. Indeed they are fundamental to the smartphone experience in being a differentiator between a phone and a smartphone.

However as you are not interested in them and say you only need a phone & MS office then I would not recommend you pick up either the 1520 or 1020. Instead pick up a cheaper 530 or wait for the 630.

Why buy a €500 phone when if your assertion is true that you only need a phone with access to ms office is correct - a €100-120 model does those things.

 

[Adamsappel]

Your research into Android needs to move up to date because where Android is now is much closer to Apple. Yes there are still the odd story of an app which is dodgy, but generally this is the exception rather than the rule.

Apps are not something to be avoided on ANY smartphone. Indeed they are fundamental to the smartphone experience in being a differentiator between a phone and a smartphone.

However as you are not interested in them and say you only need a phone & MS office then I would not recommend you pick up either the 1520 or 1020. Instead pick up a cheaper 530 or wait for the 630.

Why buy a €500 phone when if your assertion is true that you only need a phone with access to ms office is correct - a €100-120 model does those things.

I beg to disagree. My research is up to date and Android has well over 2,000 malware apps floating about, over and above the internal vulnerabilities. That figure rose with something like 640% last year and it was reported that about half a million were wiped remotely by malware after it first stole data. Internal vulnerabilities is where, 2 years ago, WP had none, iOS had some 1,500 and Android scored well above that. Android is secure in the sense that every app runs in its own VM, hence the lust for RAM & CPU power. It fails in data handling as that is where the exploits are. Yes, many holes had been plugged and Google shed some 400k apps but that did not resolve the issue.

Why would I want to be content with an entry level Nokia with a much lesser camera? Already, the iPhone 5's one is in deficit so I need to step up, not down.

As for apps: that is subjective and not even relevant as it is defined by consumerism, mostly driven by want and much less so by need. Most professional people can do what they need to do with most of these handsets right from the box. Too many people have too much relationship with their phones instead of with real people.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Oooh, will have to charge my Lumia on the 1st then. Pretty exciting update, hopefully the 520 doesn't get too left out on the goodies.

 

[MRU]

.

Why would I want to be content with an entry level Nokia with a much lesser camera? Already, the iPhone 5's one is in deficit so I need to step up, not down.

As for apps: that is subjective and not even relevant as it is defined by consumerism, mostly driven by want and much less so by need. Most professional people can do what they need to do with most of these handsets right from the box. Too many people have too much relationship with their phones instead of with real people.

You said you wanted it JUST for a phone and for office, you never said a decent camera was part of your requirements so stop being so ancy and defensive.... Sheesh.

It seems that some folks merely come on the forum to see if it can add another chip to their already chip filled shoulder.



Time to add someone to the ignore list....