One of the big new features of the Lumia 925, which is now actually in people’s hands for purchase in the UK and a select few other territories, is the updated camera algorithms and new functionality. All of that is encompassed in the so-called ‘Amber update’, which is Nokia’s name for their inbound firmware change destined for all Windows Phone 8 Lumias later this summer.
One of those new features is the ability to run the Smart Cam app, which enables such cool camera tricks as motion blur, 10-frame action shots and more.
The good news is that app is now available in the Nokia Collection and yes, you can download it right now for your Lumia phone. The bad news is when launched, you’ll be greeted with a reminder that this app can’t quite run on your non-Lumia 925 just yet, because you don’t have that firmware update.
So close, yet so far, fellow Windows Phone Lumia users. From the app description:
"Nokia Smart Camera shoots a sequence of photos, making it easier to capture great moments. Either choose your Best Shot or combine the photos into one picture using these amazing features":
- Motion Focus – add blur to emphasize motion
- Action Shot – add a strobe effect to show action
- Remove Moving Objects – remove unwanted objects
- Change Faces – choose the best faces for great group shots
- Apply an effect right away, or save the sequence to edit it later. When you’re done, share your pictures directly with friends.
Exclusively for Nokia Lumia
- New Effect – Motion Focus
- The last edit session for each of the 5 Smart Camera Effects (Best Shot, Action Shot, Motion Focus, Change Faces, Remove Object) will be saved so you can continue later.
- Speed Improvements
We don’t have any firm details on when the PR2.0 (aka Amber) update is coming, but we do know that it will also have the OS update, which is named GDR2 to tag along with it. If we had to guess, we’d be aiming for a July /August release as carriers obviously come into play, causing delays here and there.
For now, if you really want to grab the app, you can follow this link or scan the QR code below. Make sure you watch our hands on demo of the Amber update above to see what your Lumia 920 (and other Lumias) will be getting in a few short weeks. At least if you do own a Lumia 925, in case you uninstall the Smart Cam app, you can now easily reinstall it.
Via: SmartPhoneFrance; Thanks, Elie S., for the tip
