Hello, Nokianatics (or in this case, fellow Lumia-users). Just a quick and friendly reminder: if you haven’t upgraded your Lumia to the latest available firmware, the Cyan Update, we highly encourage that you do since the Cyan Update has been rolled out to almost all Lumia devices.

 

This week, Nokia Philippines lent us a 1020 review unit fitted with the famed Cyan Update, otherwise known as WP 8.1. And while my daily driver is a Lumia 1520 already updated to the latest iteration of the 8.1, I’m beautifully reminded of how this crucial Nokia update boosts the experience on the other small-screen devices.

As mentioned in our initial article about this amazing Lumia update , the Windows Phone 8.1 update is everything your windows phone ought to be (until the next big update, that is).

 

Bigger Real Estate

While you don’t really feel the difference with a 1520 screen (granted that it already has an extra column even during the Lumia Black firmware), the additional column is truly felt on smaller-screen devices like the loaned updated 1020. Here’s a side-by-side comparison:

The additional real estate means you have more freedom to customize your home screen– adding more apps, numbers, names and basically making this section entirely about YOU.

Aside from a bigger real estate, you can also customize the background to use any image or photo that you may have masterfully taken using your Lumia 1020. Customization at its finest!

New Microsoft Camera Interface

Since we’re already talking about the phone’s camera, let’s jump into the meat of it. One of the major updates touched by the WP8.1 upgrade is the camera app. In our previous review, we stated that although we’re pretty much fans of the phone in terms of its optics, we were slightly uneasy with the yellowish, somewhat grainy filter it produces on low-light. There’s also that issue about the almost one-second delay in processing your photos. Well, guess what, Nokia heard us and created a swift fix with this new update. Everything is crystal clear and smooth now and the color tones are just right. The processing time is relatively faster as well. And to top it all off,  Nokia even threw in a new Camera interface for good measure.

But don’t worry, you still have your Nokia Camera (previously called Smart Camera) if you miss having the complexity of a DSLR interface.  You can still play with your shot and mix macros and ratios and be all “Pro” about your shot but hey, for those who just want a powerful point-and-click, the addition of a streamlined shooter is what Microsoft provides in this new update.

With a more simplistic system, the Microsoft Camera makes anybody take decent to pretty exceptional photos with ease and convenience. With most of the pertinent app and settings available on screen (i.e. burst shot, remove flash, switch to video), you don’t have to switch back and forth between apps just to set the right setting.

The app even pulls all your camera lenses so you can choose between them without hitting the back button. It’s easier now to switch between phone apps (including the Nokia Camera App, Camera 360, Panorama, etc.). Couple all of these features with a hardware sturdy enough to take a beating and you have a winning combo right here.

 

Word Flow, Yo!

You’ve seen it, we geeked about it, but it wasn’t until I got to really try Word-Flow on the smaller screen did I truly appreciate this technical marvel especially when you’re typing with one hand. While I already have this on my 1520, I wasn’t really using the feature as much as I should have been.  Unfortunately my hands just aren’t that big to type one-handed on a 1520. But on the 1020, I’m zipping line after line after line. The intuitive prediction and crazy accuracy makes “texting” (so 90’s) a breeze instead of a chore.

 

More On The Way

A couple of days back, Nokia revealed their latest product line and a nifty new firmware aptly called the Denim update. And while that update would bring in better tweaks in photography and over-all user interface (possibly Cortana), that might still be months away. For now, to ensure that your Nokia Lumia is working in its best possible state, hit the update button. It honestly would do your phone a world of wonder.

And speaking of “honestly”, Nokia Philippines also launched a new campaign starring Jodilly Pendre, Asian Next Top Model Cycle 2 runner-up. Here’s the video reel:

Aside from that, they’re also doing a mini promo –it’s cute and quirky and can net you Php 15,000.00 & a Nokia Lumia 630. Head over to their Facebook Page to find out how to join, but hurry, the contest ends on September 19, 2014.

To find out the other features of the Cyan Update you can visit the official Nokia/ Microsoft Mobile Page.