Amber Update for Lumia 820 and 920.

From what we heard from the Nokia Lumia 925 Launching Event last week, the Amber Update (GDR2 + Lumia-exclusive updates) for the WP8 Lumia series is set to roll out here in the Philippines this month. Meanwhile, for those who can’t wait for the said update, it was reported that firmware files for Lumia 820 and 920 are now available on Nokia’s servers. Good news to flashers! However, be warned: flash at your own risk!
Flashing of a device refers to overwriting existing firmware present in a device with new data/files. So when doing this, you have to remember that all existing contents, including apps, games, media, and other date will be deleted. It will do you good if you backup your files first. Flashing can also cause problems to your smartphones; the worst is that the phone will be “bricked” or will be permanently unusable. There are tricks to unbrick a device, but that’s a whole different story. With my experience, I successfully flashed my Nokia 5800 XM, and just recently, my Lumia 900 (since the WP7.8 update took so long to arrive, I used an Indian firmware to do the trick!).

So what are we expecting in the Amber Update?

First we have the GDR2 update, which is Microsoft’s update for all Windows Phone – powered smartphones. It includes the addition of FM radio, improved .wav support for voice mail, fix for “other storage” issue, Data Sense app (for selected markets), the ability to use a Lens app as the default camera, Data Sense app for monitoring data usage, bug fixes for Xbox Music, HTML5 updates for Internet Explorer Mobile, improved Skype and Lync stability, and CalDAV/CardDAV support.

Second, the Lumia-specific updates, including the Smart Camera App, Nokia Glance, flip-to-silence, double-tap activation of lockscreen, Lumia Color Profile, and the Bluetooth 4.0.

Again, we warn you: flash at your own risk. But if you are one of those techno – daredevils who just can’t wait for the official phone update and is fond of fiddling your phone, head to Nokia Views now for instructions on how to flash the Amber Update firmware into your Lumia 820 or 920.