The latest update to Nokia’s Windows Phone build (which expands upon Microsoft’s GDR3 release), named Black, brings with it some features you may be surprised to learn Nokia handsets didn’t already contain… but here’s a big one for you: It also brings RAW support, not available on any smartphone before.
Both the 1020 and 1520 will be blessed with this update, meaning photos can be processed and settings changed after they’re shot, not to mention, shot in better quality. You can read more about RAW photography here.
It’s not the only camera tweak in the Black update, which will see the Pro Camera and Smart Camera apps pulled together into one Nokia Camera app. Top of the list for me is the Refocus feature, which lets you adjust the focus in photos after they’ve been shot — as you can see in the photo above, there’s Facebook support for this one, so your friends can draw either the foreground or background into focus, much like the Lytro Facebook plug-in.
Launching first in the 1520 and 1320, Nokia Beamer projects the phone’s screen to any HTML5-enabled screen, whereas the Storyteller app integrates photos with Nokia’s HERE location information so memories — both photos and video — can be organised on a map. Available on the Lumia 2520 only, the Video Director app provides a greater way to edit and share videos.
Other new features in the Black update include the ability to switch off all notifications in the driving mode; personalise ringtones for individual contacts, and add new notifications to the lock screen (such as the number of steps the user has taken that day).
Nokia Black will be rolled out to all Windows Phone 8 Nokia devices in 2014. [Gizmodo UK]
