Windows Phone 8.1 cleared for liftoff on latest Lumia models

Nokia Lumia 635
Close, yet so far away

Rocking a Nokia Lumia smartphone and getting impatient for the latest and greatest operating system update? The wait may soon be over, according to the guy who knows of what he speaks.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Windows Phone Program Management kingpin Joe Befiore issued an early morning tweet confirming Windows Phone 8.1 is more or less in the can.

"WP8.1 sw [software] is finished for the Lumia phones that started shipping a couple weeks ago.. and we're testing the update code now. Fixes ongoing," the Twitter missive reads.

Although Belfiore didn't name specific models, the latest Nokia handsets include the Lumia 930, Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 unveiled at the Build 2014 developer conference.

Great, but when?

First unleashed upon developers in April, Windows Phone 8.1 introduces a bevy of customization features such as Action Center, along with a Siri-like virtual assistant known as Cortana.

Judging from the tweet, a lot of progress has been made since the Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview was last updated on May 14. The update stomped out a number of bugs and improved battery life at the same time.

One detail the software boss didn't manage to fit inside his 140-character-or-less update is when users with recent Nokia Lumia smartphones - not to mention owners of older hardware rocking the current Windows Phone 8 - will actually be able to install the OS.

In the meantime, developers continue working with the preview behind the scenes, even as Microsoft presumably readies new hardware after taking possession of Nokia's devices and services division in late April.

  • What's in store for Windows 9? TechRadar gets to the bottom of it all!
TOPICS
Latest in Software
AI hallucinations
We're already trusting AI with too much – I just hope AI hallucinations disappear before it's too late
Google Gemini AI
Gemini can now see your screen and judge your tabs
Girl wearing Meta Quest 3 headset interacting with a jungle playset
Latest Meta Quest 3 software beta teases a major design overhaul and VR screen sharing – and I need these updates now
A phone showing a ChatGPT app error message
ChatGPT was down for many – here's what happened
A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop
It looks like Microsoft might have thought better about banishing Copilot AI shortcut from Windows 11
ChatGPT app on an iPhone
5 things you should ask ChatGPT today – oh, and 1 you should never ask it!
Latest in News
Zendesk Relate 2025
Zendesk Relate 2025 - everything you need to know as the event unfolds
Disney Plus logo with popcorn
You can finally tell Disney+ to stop bugging you about that terrible Marvel show you regret starting
Google Gemini AI
Gemini can now see your screen and judge your tabs
Girl wearing Meta Quest 3 headset interacting with a jungle playset
Latest Meta Quest 3 software beta teases a major design overhaul and VR screen sharing – and I need these updates now
Philips Hue
Philips Hue might be working on a video doorbell, and according to a new report, we just got our first look at it
Microsoft
"Another pair of eyes" - Microsoft launches all-new Security Copilot Agents to give security teams the upper hand