Nokia Belle FP2 for the 808 PureView rollout starts for real [updated]

Here's the full changelog from Nokia Belle Feature Pack 1 to Feature Pack 2, lifted partly from our earlier news article:

• Swipe to Unlock shade effect for lockscreen - plus swiping on message notifications opens up Messaging directly
• New staggered keyboard layout with word predictions presented in real time above the keyboard
• New version of Web, (v8.3.2.21)
• Support for voice search in Maps, simply say the place or thing you're looking for(!)
• 808s which had their 'Search' engine permanently set to 'Bing' can now choose 'Google' as well
• New email widget, showing one message at a time
• Other new widgets, e.g. Notes, most of which we've seen before in Belle Refresh for older Symbian^3 generation devices
• Refreshed Music player (v17.3.18), with artists and other tabs in a facelifted UI
• Music player pause/play icon in the notification bar music panel
• Lighter colour schemes by default
• Many transparent toolbars throughout the UI, letting the screen content partially show through
• Homescreen toolbar has added universal search icon
• Gallery changes - now works fully in landscape mode, ALL photo details available in a detailed info pane (right down to including the exposure histogram for that shot!), multiple photo selection for deleting now possible, through a new trash can icon on the toolbar
• New reset button in Creative mode to change all the settings back to default with a single touch
• Nokia Car Mode built in

You can check your 808 PureView for updates by going to the dialler and entering *#0000# and then 'Check for updates' on the menu. The update is about 16MB over-the-air. Or just plug the phone into Nokia Suite.

I updated over the air and 'in place' and had zero issues, with all apps and data retained. As ever though, it's worth doing syncs and appropriate backups beforehand - just in case. And, if you have issues, as a last resort, consider doing a hard reset and complete firmware install via your PC.

After the update, a brace of new application updates (over and above the list above) get offered in Sw_update:

• Calendar 10.6 ('Get improved calendar events handling')
• Microsoft Apps 2.1 (build 2.1.5616, just keeping the 808 bang up to date?)
• Nokia Social 1.6 (build 1.6.32, bringing 'new widgets, an enhanced user experience and feature updates', replaces v1.5.233, which was in the standard Belle FP1 firmware)

The FP2 update being offered over the air - note that the build number in some world regions seems to be '.1507'; and showing the new fully multitouch keyboard, with subtly different layout - note that the keyboard 'nudge' arrows appear after placing the cursor somewhere and then disappear, to save screen real estate - an elegant solution.

The new version of Social - I've noticed a facelift all round, plus it offers to sync your Twitter contact photos with your main Contacts store photos when you first start the application. Ditto Facebook, shown below. And, as far as I can see, there's no 'All activity' view anymore, other than using the main homescreen joint Social widget.

I'm happy to let both Facebook and Twitter update my contact images - I figure that although there will be the odd overwrite of something higher resolution with something slightly lower, at least this way more and more of my contacts acquire thumbnails - a job at which I've been very lax!

Voice search in Nokia Maps is new, I believe. Although the core Maps version hasn't changed, the enablers for voice search in Belle FP2 have added what is effectively a major new feature. Tap on the microphone (Google/Android-style) and say what you want to find - it works brilliantly, in my experience.

Here's the new car mode in action, finally appearing in an official firmware. Just the core three functions, so sorry if you like replying to email one handed while on the road! The music module defaults to 'shuffle' mode, but you can change this as needed...

 

Comments welcome on other improvements that you've found... 

PS. There's now an official post on this update over on Nokia Conversations.