Nokia releases Windows Phone 8.1 Cyan update for Lumia smartphones

Will not bring Cortana to the UK

Nokia has begun rolling out its Cyan Windows Phone 8.1 software update to its range of Lumia smartphones.

Nokia announced the rollout in a blog post on Tuesday, confirming that the update will be available for all Lumia handsets currently running Windows Phone 8.

"Starting today, the Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphone family will receive the Lumia Cyan software, the new Windows Phone 8.1 update and Lumia features," read the post.

The update means Lumia devices will be upgraded to run Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 operating system (OS) and receive a wealth of new custom applications from Nokia. Key Nokia additions include the release of an enhanced Nokia Camera and new Video Tuner app.

The new Camera app features a "renewed Camera Roll" designed to make it quicker and easier for users to access, edit and share captured images within the Camera app. Video Tuner is designed to let users quickly edit and share high-quality videos using Lumia smartphones.

The update will also bring all the inherent benefits of Windows Phone 8.1 to previous Lumia handsets. Windows Phone 8.1 arrived in the UK in May when Nokia released its budget Lumia 630 smartphone.

Windows Phone 8.1 is listed by Microsoft as "the first enterprise-ready" version of the OS and has a variety of business-focused features including mobile device-management (MDM) support.

The support lets IT managers control Cyan-powered smartphones connecting to their network and offers them the ability to remotely wipe sensitive data from lost or stolen devices, for example.

The update brings several new features to the Lumia handsets including Microsoft's Wordflow keyboard, an updated UI menu that features a third column of customised Live Tiles to the Start Screen and ability to choose a background wallpaper.

The update will not bring Microsoft's Cortana service to the UK. Cortana is a competitor to Apple's Siri assistant that is designed to let users interact with Lumia handsets using voice commands that first launched in the US alongside the release of Windows Phone 8.1. A Nokia spokeswoman told V3: "Cortana will launch in the UK and China in late 2014."

For an in-depth look at Windows Phone 8.1 and its new features check out V3's written review.