After being announced in September, Microsoft has officially announced that the wide release of the Lumia Denim update for the Lumia Windows Phone smartphone line is set for next month.The update is currently rolling out in China and Southeast Asia.
The Denim update is focused on improvements to imaging for both still images and video capture, with the Lumia 930, 830, 1520, and Icon gaining improved capture speeds in the Lumia Camera app as well as new algorithms to improve focus and exposure. In addition, the camera will gain a new feature called Moment Capture, which records 4K video at 24 frames per second with each and every frame saved as an 8.3-megapixel image. Users can then take a single frame from the video as a stand-alone image.
Another new function is called Rich Capture, where the camera takes over settings such as auto HDR, dynamic flash, and dynamic exposure so users can focus on getting the shot the first time and not on adjusting the camera app settings after each shot. The Denim update also adds live folders, SMS merging, and other non-imaging improvements.
In related news, Microsoft has also announced that it has sold the MixRadio service that was acquired in the Nokia Devices and Services purchase to LINE Corp for an undisclosed amount. The MixRadio streaming radio service was preinstalled on Lumia devices that featured curated streaming radio stations and allowed users to create their own radio stations. LINE is a mobile social and messaging network chiefly popular in Japan and other Asian countries best known for being a platform for other services such as gaming and virtual commerce.
