Lumia Denim is the next firmware update for Nokia Lumia devices, coming Q4 2014

Microsoft's event is already going strong, and we expect a couple of new Lumia smartphones, but before Redmond unveiled these, it unwrapped Lumia Denim - the next firmware update for Lumia devices. It will arrive on the Lumia 930/Icon and the Lumia 1520, while the newly-unveiled Lumia 830 and Lumia 730 will come with it out of the box.

What does this Lumia Denim firmware consist of? It brings some improvements to Cortana, Microsoft's voice assistant, and allows you to "summon" it by simply saying the "Hey, Cortana!" hotword, similar to the way you'd launch Siri and Google Now. It has apparently taken a page or two from Apple's and Google's books, but that's not all that the Denim update will bring on the table. See, it allows Cortana to keep tabs on your whereabouts and recognize the geographic areas in which you currently are.

Additionally, Lumia Denim will bring some pretty impressive improvements to the camera software in the supported devices. Microsoft claimed that thanks to Denim, the camera does not only start faster, it also snaps individual photos in a quick fashion. What's more, you can now snap a 4K video clip and still images at the same time. If you have missed the moment, however, don't fret - you'll be able to extract photos from an already-recorded 4K video. All thanks to Lumia Denim.

The alpha version of this firmware update will initially arrive as alpha in India and Canada, while its beta version will be tested in the UK and China. When should we expect the Lumia Denim update? Well, it will be available for the Lumia 930/Icon and the Lumia 1520 in Q4 2014. 

It's not too late to tune in to Microsoft's IFA live keynote here.

source: Microsoft