Bittersweet shimmer will let you pick new colors for night mode on the Glance Screen

You love leaks, so we share leaks. The next big update coming to Windows Phone is GDR3 . That will bring the ability for handsets to support quad-core processors (like the Snapdragon 800 processor), 1080p displays, and more. Like GDR2, Nokia will be producing their own update to go with GDR3 for Lumia handsets called Bittersweet shimmer. We’ve seen screenshots from both GDR3 and Bittersweet shimmer, but here’s one more to help satisfy you until you get it on your own devices.

Bittersweet shimmer will be an update for Lumia devices that launches alongside GDR3. It differs from GDR3 in that it enables certain hardware and software features that you can only get with Nokia’s lineup. For example, the GDR2 equivalent of Bittersweet shimmer, Amber, enabled Bluetooth 4.0 in some current Lumia devices.

GDR2 brought the glance screen to Lumia devices. Right now it’s limited to showing you the time and whether or not your phone is on vibrate. It also has a night mode, where instead of white it shows red. You can select when night mode begins and ends. It’s pretty handy, but it looks like Bittersweet shimmer will bring a few more options to the mix. Night mode will now show blue or green as an option. Not groundbreaking, but more customization is something we can always get behind. Edit: According to the leaker, you'll have all 20 colors as options, not just blue and green.

What else do we know about GDR3 and Bittersweet shimmer?

Custom sounds for text, voice mail, e-mail, and reminders (not seen in this build of GDR3)
Restore over Wi-Fi when you reset your phone
Huge amount of work on Bluetooth with various vehicles and devices
Driving Mode
Screen rotation lock
'X' to close out apps in multitasking
Icon for multitasking apps
General performance improvements
1080P Display support (for new devices)
Support for new Qualcomm chipsets
Notifications on glance screen

What features are you most looking forward to with the GDR3 and Bittersweet shimmer update? Thinking of adding it to your existing phone or upgrading to a new device like the Lumia 1520? Sound off below!

Source: Twitter

Thanks for the tip Devarshi R!

417 Comments

Omg I can't wait this awesome!
Just want to be the first to say I love AT&T and all of their support for these updates on my Lumia 920. Thank you!!
Yes we can always count on AT&T!
Yeah, my wife is pretty excited about AT&T's screaming fast update system since she is still running Mango on her Focus S and STILL has to deal with the disappearing keyboard. You may have had a good experience, but my experience with their updates has been terrible.
I agree, I haven't even gotten GDR 2 or AMBER updates yet. from ATT what the hell
In South Africa, we already got our updates for the Lumia 520, 920, 820, 620 on all carriers.
Yes, a South African! Where you, boet? :)
They even promised the HTC Titan 2 with 7.8. I feel bad for those owners.
Sarcasm, dude. Sarcasm.
Yes these all sound like great features that you probably won't get unless you buy a new phone on AT&T.
Ya I'm still waiting myself for updates to my 920 and GDR2 nothing yet.
This is the first I am hearing of any issues with ATT and updates.
I didn't even know updates existed!
http://www.change.org/petitions/microsoft-nokia-release-updates-to-windows-phone-on-your-own-not-through-the-carrier#share
Signed!
I'm not a fan of how change.org spams your email inbox. I signed one petition with them years ago and still get emails from them, even after I requested they stop.
Signed... Not that I expect it to change anything. Carriers don't trust MS updates obviously. Which is why we don't get them. If MS was so great with testing them then ATT wouldn't have to find issues with it. ATT doesn't need drama from phones not working. They'd rather make u wait.
Actually the fact that VZW pushes out WP updates turbo fast kinda cancels out your post. Verizon is the ultimate test 'till death carrier and if THEY can push an update out that fast, it tells me there is some severe issues with AT&T.
Pretty sure this is not the way to use Change.org petitions.
They were being sarcastic sir
I don't know about anyone else, but here in England, for me O2 was like AT&T. Updates took a shameful amount of time to get to my HTC HD7. I actually had to do that trick where you connected your phone to your laptop, disconnected WiFi, then get the update for Mango. For MANGO lol. So i didn't even get 7.5 the legitimate, secure way because O2 were useless. Oh and HTC generally suck with Windows Phone imo anyway. I'm with Vodafone now, Lumia 920. Couldn't be happier.
The disappearing keyboard is a feature I would like brought back. Maybe in GDR3?
This new love for AT&T is Stockholm Syndrome.
AT&T is always first when it comes to updates. I love them too! 920 user!
Since when? Only reason anyone on AT&T has Amber is they flashed the leaked version. Only thing they're first at is foot-dragging. 920 user; AT&T customer for (sigh) 10 years.
On the bright side, their slowness is why I learned to flash the ROM myself.
Sarcasm!!!Learn it!!!
Sarcasm!! Back atcha ;)
AT&T already has updated my 920 to 8.2! Thanks for being so super fast AT&T!
Mine already updated to wp 10.1 ! Thanks nokia!
Chris this literally made me die from laughter. Luckily, AT&T already sent me 12 lives along with GDR 8.5 , so bring on the sarcasm.
If we're lucky we probably will get GDR2/3 same day.
I'm with VZW and just got GDR5. Y'all are waaaay behind...
We won't see this update until 2015
Some people just don't know how great at&t is just see the comments below Lumia 920 user. And thank you at&t your just the best.
Meanwhile in AT&T HQ… “It has come to my attention that a violation to our company policy has occurred… at this moment we don’t know the detail and extent of it but you can be sure some heads will roll, in the meantime all of you can forget of this year bonus”.
We won't get gdr2 until Windows Phone 9.3 hits. CANT WAIT! (ATT 'hero' carrier can suck my right testicle.)
Why discriminate against the left one?
Why discriminate against AT&T? They deserve both!!
Thanks to AT&T not updating my Lumia 920 i will be switching to the Note 3 yay :D
I wonder how quickly att will release future updates for the Note 3 after the first initial update.
I'm switching from the Note 3 to iPhone...on the AT&T...
I can guarantee you that they will be quicker then the Lumia 920 LMFAO.
You really can't.
Not gonna happen. They are equally horrible with updating Android phones as well, no matter how high end.
Well.... My HTC ONE is getting 4.3 tomorrow. I love WP, and WILL be back once it has the basic features that I (we) have grown accustomed to. I sold both of my 920's because the market was falling out on E-Bay and I knew it was a losing propisition, so I had to take what I could get for them. It is because of the lack of updates that sent the prices into a free fall and that's not cool, but I think ATT has done this on purpose. I really don't see the 920 getting GDR3, maybe 2 sometime, but that's it.
Droid phones usually get a "quick" update, then maybe one other one if you are lucky. It's going to be interesting to see how some of these new phones are going pretty quick to 4.3, but then 4.4 is a whole new version so it will either take forever after it's released, or my bet, never.
Yeah, Android updates might not come faster. Remember how long it took for Verizon to update the Nexus previous gen? (just to name an example) Carriers are usually slow with Android updates.
I know at&t is even worst with android updates...
On At&t yay :D
I have had to hit the back button 15 times on occasion to close the Facebook app! WTF was Microsoft thinking by not including the close feature from the beginning?!!!
You're doing it wrong. One long press to bring up the multitasking page, then two very quick presses on the back button will close it down quickly.
That's the *very* first I've ever heard of that option, lol. Thank you!!
Thanks this works but only for the last open app not the app in center view on the multitasking view. Also for some reason this trick is not working for the Facebook app. Thanks though...
I thought you could scroll left and right to see the open apps, click on the one in the center, use the back button and it's closed, no?
Umm soo I'll be copin a Nokia 1520 because they won't update my 920 note 3 can eat a dick
Lol
You're crazy❗
Nooooo! Send me your Lumia if you decide to get the note 3.
So if they would just put a phone on my tablet I could be cool like yall
Ohh GDR2...Your updates I have yet to see...
Everyone voice your concerns about AT&T Amber Update here. https://www.facebook.com/#!/ATT?hc_location=stream
I did so and pple are getting pretty vocal.
UPDATE2: Nicole also replied from AT&T. She is probably an intern...
UPDATE: Tracie A. (AT&T FB page manager) responded to my post. So if you want to give her a piece of your mind comment here (on my post). https://www.facebook.com/#!/ATT/posts/10151886780983909?comment_id=29647
Thanks, added my two cents for what it was worth.
I love the mix of sarcasm and taking-it-seriously in this thread
^ me too
ATTENTION!

THE LUMIA 1520 HAS EYE SCROLLING! (someone I know, not into mobilephones as much as me but heard me frequently talk about the device told me they spoke with a guy who had it in his possession, and he demonstrated it for her. The guys wife allegedly is an ATT employees a he's testing it.)

she is a trustworthy person
Sure
At&t sucks... !! when are u going to release amber!
So many good updates, necessary for WP to succeed. I can't wait!
I hate all these updates.. WP is fine just the way it is...
So true
No its missing alot of features to really compete like saying a car is good but there's no radio,ac,power steering,and and bad gas mileage but it runs great.....um
No, Rodney....it isn't.
Oh that Rodney! He means well, but just take half of what he says with a grain of salt and ignore the other half.
Lol❕...
Yes it is❕❕
No it isn't. WP needs these updates to even stand a chance to compete. Like being able to close apps from the multitasking is perfect and much needed. There's still alot of basic tasks that WP can't perform, and its a shame. Microsoft needs to pick it up before they go down the trail of blackberry.
Really❔❔ Lol.
I'd agree if it had custom notification tones. It's the only thing I want.
Are you serious?! I don't think WP has reached a point where it can be called a real smartphone OS.
Main issue is with the multitasking. Just as you type something in an app where it takes text input and if you switch to any other app, may be for example, to check the sms you just got and you go back to the previous app, the text you typed will be all gone! I don't think that should be the thing if it is to be called a multitasking OS.
That's odd, I've seen the opposite behavior. I've started to type a text message, switched to another app, gone to the home screen, gone into text messaging, pulled up the same conversation, and my half-composed text message is still there.
I agree with yako, I've never had multitasking issues on the OS level. They've always been on apps (only two I can think of are Engadget and YouTube)
It happened to me at least once.
No, I wasn't serious.. Really❔
Don't update then people that don't like updates. :)
The updates are cool 1-3 a year is better 0-1 a year
I'd have to see a screenshot of what the night mode looks like. Can't picture it. So just a blue or red screen? Doesn't that sap battery rather than a black background?
The time when the phone is locked is that color.
You misunderstood. Not a blue or red screen, colour choice for the content that shows up
Ohhh cool
Sounds great. Can't wait to get on my Lumia 1020.
Same here, this all sounds like a much bigger update than GDR2 was. The notifications on the Glance Screen and the x to close apps are the features that excite me the most.
Ditto. And the ability to lock the screen from rotating.
Absolutely! Rotation lock has been a long time coming, and I find it immensely useful for when I'm using my device lying down or something.
Bitter sweet shimmer..! I'm shimmering right now
Ridiculous name... Amber was way better.
Damn AT&T
I was just about to say
If there was actually people buying the phones in U.S maybe they would put more effort in to it?
^^^ Agree with this. Windows Phone sales in the U.S. Is hardly a runaway success. Nokia in general have never really been a big deal in the States so it comes as no surprise that networks put very little or no effort into after sales support
I'm sure the feature most Nokia fanboys are waiting for is GDR2 on AT&T.
"I'm sure the feature anyone who has a Lumia 920 on AT&T wants is GDR2"

FTFY. You don't have to be a fanboy to want an update.
None fanboys don't even know about the update.
Maybe people who aren't tech-savvy, but now you're saying that anyone who owns a Nokia Windows Phone and knows about phone updates is a Nokia fanboy.
That's right!
I am a fanboy!
When the sh*t tries to attack and hits the fan - Oh boy! It's gonna splatter all over the place!
But in a shimmering second the fan is clean again!
Ain't that Bittersweet!
No, I'm talking about the guys here who bash Samsung and HTC for "not supporting" WP when both released updates before Nokia.
It ain't our fault you picked the company who makes great phones but doesn't support the platform you should of bought the 820-821-822 if you didn't want or couldn't have the 920.
Do you know when is the release date?
Are you seriously asking this❔
Pretty sure he just asked...
There is always someone who is going to ask this question. I'm just glad I'm not that guy. :D
Oh, the release date for you my friend tomorrow at 7:32pm
The exact date has been given. When hell freezes over!
AT&T better release this for my 1020.
well, what happens to a unlocked device from ATT???
i wonder....
Same as a locked one. Unbranded makes the difference.
The 1020 is MS's/Nokia's baby. I doubt they'll leave this phone behind anytime soon.
I hope you are right, but I doubt it. The 900 was their baby, then the 920. Each seemed to be very quickly dropped with new phone release. It's more like a cute puppy that gets dropped off in the woods whenever they see a younger cuter one.
I don't live near any woods so I just take my puppies along with me, pull over on the freeway (safely of course) by some shrubbery, let them out to explore, then run back in the car and gun it! Works every time. Puppies aren't that smart!
I gave my 900 to my wife. So I didn't completely abandon it on the side of the road. I'm sticking with my 920 even if Att is never going to approve the update. *angrily shakes fist* a la Grandpa Simpson.
Lol at least the 900 got 7.8. -Nokia pushed that. ---Practically the only phone on ATT to get the update. With the 1020, it offers the worlds best cameraphone. I think we will continue to see updates from ATT as long as Nokia doesn't come out with another 41MP camera phone.
No doubt about that, but it is ATT and there is a new phablet coming for them to not support. ;)
Access video library??
I dont think they will release that API in gdr3. But keep the hopes
They need to update the SDK. I haven't heard gdr3 will come with changes for the the API developers need.
I wish MS would do something like webOS to where you could just flick the app away to close and card view. I'm still missing many features of webOS. :(
I had an HP Touchpad (got 3 on firesale). Definatelly a nice feature. Too bad IOS got that before WP!
Rowesoft❔ Please explain.
In iOS 7 the way to close apps in the new multitasking view is to flick them upward. No one acknowledges that this was taken from WebOS but if WP implemented it then everyone would say that MS copied it from Apple.
Who says that this isn't how it functions❔ It still may do that..
Come on now, how many times has Microsoft gotten it right??
webOS and flicking cards(apps) off the top, so much nicer than WP8's current style. Hitting the back button is painful and antiquated.
Long live webOS, everyone should have had a Pre 3, my first smart phone, and then used iOS or Android or WP.
I'll take an "X" to close an app, still antiquated but much better than hitting a back button 3 times on some app's to close.
They could just do drag down like Win8. It would make sense and be working towards the goal of unification of the ecosystem.
I live in a country where carriers don't get to hold back updates and all phones are international and such. I was looking at some of the cheaper Nokia phones, either one of their newer Lumia-inspired feature phones, or a cheaper Lumia like the 520 for a phone that I can use for very rare tethering and phone calls / SMS.

I don't have huge hands, and was wondering if anyone who owns a 520 can tell me something about how big it is in the hand since it's not the thinnest or even smallest phone. Oh and of course, will the international Lumia 520 get the update close to instantly after the release, or is there some sort of Android-like fragmentation aside from carriers holding back updates in countries like the U.S.?
My hands are small and I use a 920 no problem which is bigger and heavier than the 520. Shouldn't be an issue at all
My international 920 only got amber in the beginning of the week... Dunno about the 520 though
Lumia 520 has a decent sized keyboard which shouldn't be a problem and updates here in the U.K. have rolled out only 2/3 weeks ago. Hope I helped.
Hello Matthias, just wanted to tell you that recent batches of all Lumia devices, be it the ones released before GDR2, ship with the Amber update, so you need not worry about that. Two of my friends got the L520 a month ago, and it came with the GDR2. In any case, my L720 and my brother's L520 which were bought pre-GDR2 and are international versions got the Amber update 2 weeks ago. So worry not. :)
Hey, thanks for the response! You mention you have the L720, might I ask how it is in general compared to the L520? I know that it's overall just a 'better' device, with the ClearBlack Display and everything else, and it's really worth the extra $50 to me (L520 is $110 here, L720 is $160). Then again, the 920 is only $230, but I WAS looking for a smaller phone mainly for texting.. decisions, decisions..
Hello Matthias, glad to share with you that the L720 is in every way a better device than the L520. And the ClearBlack Display, Gorilla Glass are only the tip of the iceberg. The real value addition is in the enhancement of the user experience- I say this from using both the devices. The touch and display are a delight to use, and not to forget, one of the best cameras with amazing low-light capability in that price range, along with a front facing camera. Plus, you get an equaliser with Dolby surround in the Audio enhancements and the glance screen, both of which are absent in the L520. The L920 has a better camera though and the 1 GB RAM certainly might give it an edge over the L720, as I have actually faced some long waiting times while resuming paused apps, and the occasional app crash. Earlier my L720 used to freeze and restart, but it rarely happens these days (Strange). I believe the L920 doesn't suffer from these occasional glitches (I havn't used it much, so...). But one thing I know is that it is definitely heavier, and since you say you have small hands, the L720, being the best of both worlds, will sit perfectly right there in your hands. :)
And yeah, the L720 is one of the thinnest and lightest Lumias around, and rivals the L925 for finesse and form factor. In fact, before the L925 came, I personally considered the L720 the most beautiful Lumia ever.
As far as I know all Nokia Lumia phones are a country version. For Sweden all phones are "Country variant", but in Norway all the phones are available as "Country variant" (no carrier lock in) or available for Telenor. Nokia releases for country and model version when they have completed localization and final testing, if the phone is a carrier version it will take some more time depending on the carrier. You can see how each model is doing for the amber update here:
http://www.nokia.com/global/support/software-update/wp8-software-update
Hello Mathias,
I have Lumia 520. The screen is decent for its size and i don't have any complaints against the screen. The lack of ram might show some problems while browsing in tabs because pages would need constant refreshing. I am on Amber update and it's definate that GDR3 update will come to phone soon. It's the best for the price.
Hi Mathias,
I think that you should consider the Lumia 620 also. It is a little bit smaller than the 520 but packs a few more features not found on the 520.
Thanks for the response Worzel! I'm a big design freak, and the 620 while a great device, doesn't fair as well as the 520 in design area. The 620 also happens to be really expensive compared to the 520 and 720 here since its price hasn't dropped nearly as much as those two other devices.
Hi Mathias,
I have to agree about the cost of the 520. You actually get a lot of smartphone for very little money and at the amazing low price point that the 520 sits in there really isn't any other phone that matches it in terms of features and performance. Its design is very nice as well.
What does the night mode do other than changing to color of the font?
That's it. Night mode makes it so your Glance Screen doesn't blind you in the middle of the night. Glance screen tells you the time and will tell show you notifications.
It tucks you in and gives you a nice little kiss on the forehead and says, "Sleep well. I love you." Nice, huh!
nice! green!
Obligatory where's my GDR2 at on my 920 from at&t?
Sounds like a nice update. I have to see the 1520 in person, my concern is too big of a phone and pretty sure it will be, but maybe I will like it. Otherwise 920 will continue minus vibration not working right anymore.
I can no longer make phone calls on my 920. I can hear them clearly, but they can never hear me.
Are you not taking it in for repair/replacement?
Happened to me after a small drop. When on speaker they were able to hear me. Used that method for a couple days then one day I turned it off for 10 minutes and when I turned it back on it worked again.
I won't be buying a 1520, but I am dying to see it in person. Im not sold on the mega screen sized phones.
What does "icon for multitasking apps" mean? Can anyone expand?
Check our previous coverage for more info on that + video of it in action. Easier to watch than type ;)
Or you could just hold the back button on your phone. Those are the "icons"
Wish I had a lumia
I also wish you did, i feel sorry for anyone without one, but prepare yourself before you purchase as it could prove costly (owner of L800, L720 and L1020)
When I said "How about blue or green?", I just gave those colours as an example, green is my favourite. But all the 20 colours will be supported. Sam you can update the post with this info.
Sweet, thanks! Have any more screenshots? sam@wpcentral is a great email to send them to if you do ;) #hinthint
You know it's not possible to take a screenshot of the glance screen.
How about a photo of the Lumia 1520 showing the glance screen? ;)
Yeah!
I don't know if I can do that. But I can tell you Lumia 1520 is the best Windows Phone ever built. It feels so good when you hold it in your hand.
Hey..can u please let us know if the battery percentage indicator and notification centre are included in gdr 3? Please reply.. :) It would be very helpful!
No, they are in WP8.1
And also...is the option for seperate volume controls included in gdr 3? Or even is that reserved for 8.1? Please respond..:)
And also can u please let us know if the option for seperate volume controls is included in gdr 3? And also if the API's for the developers to access the video library are enabled in gdr 3? Please respond.. :)
So you're the leaker then?
Yes
Oh ok cool.
Would I have to wait another year for the update?
Only if you are an AT&T customer. LOL GDR3 and Bittersweet shimmer will be released by the end of this year.
Thanks for reaffirming my faith on Windows phone. I'll consider the bittersweet shimmer update as a christmas gift.
Can you also choose to just turn it off at night? Cuz when i'm asleep i dont need to know what time it is.
And when its charging at night its lighting up my room because it keeps showing glancescreen instead of turning it off after some minutes...
Yes, there is an option "Always on when charging" which you can set to On or Off.
Hey..can u please let us know if the battery percentage indicator and notification centre are included in gdr 3? Please reply.. :) It would be very helpful!
Thanks for responding so quickly, and that's great, besides notifications that's one thing i was missing atm
Hi, what are the exact dimensions of this phone? It would be very very very helpfull to decide wether or not i'm gonna buy it.
To be honest, I don't care that much about the glance settings. What I really want is the possibility for 6 small tiles in one row on my 920. I really hope that it will be available to more devices than the new big screen devices. The 920 has a screen big enough for that!
I wouldn't bet on it.
Att is going to love to bone us with this one
Unlocked devices in Sweden had to wait about 1,5 month for official Amber update. Which kinda sucks too. But MS should really keep the operators out of the update process. That's the only thing apple had done right IMHO
Separate volume control and unlock video library plzzzz
Finally custom text tones and email tones etc... I hope they make it so when I take a screen shot it doesnt make the sound when on silent
Weird, my phone never makes a sound when taking a screenshot. Whether the volume is all the way up or down.
Really? Mine does, like rubenbest said, whether its on silent or not :/
Just took a screenshot of this message on silent *clatching* lol
Just did it as well. No sound and volume is on 10. Did you guys turn off the shutter sound option in the ringtone/sound menu?
Yes
Turning off the shutter sound in the settings took this off.....but i like the sound when i have my sound off.. But when i put my phone on vibrate i dont want it on... Like the camera
this i why i love and preffer to stick to windows phone 8 and nokia because when it gets updated it only makes it better. i do not think there is anything else to add to the android OS and iOS to make it better, ther are old and stale like 3 weeks old bread and filled wilt mold. windows phone is only getting better and better as the days go by
BUT...only if we actually get them. AT&T, I'm looking at you!
"X" to close apps is the only thing I'm missing from Android & IOS,....so I really am dying for my Nokia Lumia 920 to get some update luv. AT&T sux!!!
If att releases this on time, I'll forgive them about GDR2
I just want my upgraded camera, ability to close apps, and glance screen then I'll be happy
When it will release, some one answer us
No one knows for sure. Suspected to be late November, early December.
Finally closing out apps with hammering the back button! Yay!. I hope they add an option to close apps by sliding the app card downwards... never made sense to me why they didnot include that on release. Also they better enable 4.0 LE on top tier devices some of us will be pretty damn annoyed if they don't.
Yea,they really should do that so it matches up with windows 8(.1)
Glance screen is the single best feature I love on my 925. This (with notifications) just made it 10x better!
Was able to make mine Red on glance all the time, when in glance settings, "night mode" can be changed to dim the display time longer, set that at a full 24/7 time, with only one minute to spare, so for the entire day it will display red and only for one minute, white.
I do the same with mine.
Me too on my red 720, it just made sense :)
From that list, "Custom sounds for text, voice mail, e-mail, and reminders" is the one I'm looking more forward to. It's absolutely pathetic that Microsoft took almost 4 years to bring something to the OS that was present on 10 year old OS's. Screen rotation lock is another thing that I think will be quite handy. That said, I have no plans of getting a new device, unless Nokia releases the L929-original in Europe (meaning, the European equivalent of the L929 with the 5" screen). I'm not interested in having the dinner-tray-1520. If they don't, then I'll stick to my L920 until they release new smaller devices or, in the case of their destruction going forward, Sony releases the Z2 .
+920
Same here, hoping for a 929 Unbranded. No carriers interferences for me...
Almost four years.... On an OS that is about to hit its third anniversary.
You do realize that an OS isn't developed 2 days before going to stores, right?
Att will have windows 8.1 before Nokia does!!!
I have Windows 8.1 preview right now, had it since July/August.
Anyone with an MSDN account can get Windows 8.1 right now. Been running it on two PCs since they released the RTM to subscribers.
I cant wait for lumia 1520 .. I will upgrade from my current wp8 to 1520 quad core with full hd display
Glance is the only feature I see in this update that I'm looking forward to. If only there was a damn notification system that worked properly once I unlock my phone so I can see what they are (other than number of emails amd texts). I got an espn toast at work yesterday that said "Seahawks will play without 5...". Clicking on it, there was no article on that topic. Notifications are my biggest beef with this while OS
That's not the OS with that particular problem, it's ESPN's fault.
The ESPN Scorecenter app is full of problems and doesn't use WP8 features well at all. I communicated with ESPN's customer support/"engineers", and they are all clueless on WP8.
Bing News app's toasts, when selected, go straight to the corresponding articles and are delivered on time and so are some other apps like Twitter.
And how quick are ATT with updates on Android ? :-)
Superfastsucksamdungsdickmakeapplecumintheirassandsuckitoutwithastraw fast....and that's fast!
:D :D :D
I need confirmation on custom notifications. WPCentral says they're coming to GDR3 but it's never in any of these builds that leak. Its become my white whale.
I am confirming it to you now, are you happy? :) More info here: www.Nawzil.com/WindowsPhone8
I'd like see 3D transparent tiles so you can add background pics, IR blaster, in tile music player control, picture password like w8, swipe up or down to close in multitasking instead of X, duel screen like in the the Samsung Note (more ore less a tile with dual function). So many ideas I have. If only I knew how to hack and program. WP wouldbe top notch in my world.
3D transparent tiles so you can add background pictures...you mean like iOS and Android? I think the idea of the tiles was precicely so you don't need a background picture.
Swipe to close apps in multitasking like iOS and Android? There I have to agree. Though I would prefer a general "swipe down to close" just like it happens on W8.
Actually, they should standardize the gestures between W8 and WP8.
I prefer functional over pride. If it will get WP to the top, I'll add all of it if i had the skills, but in no way assume I will copy.
Let's see what merging of WP and WRT will bring in terms of standardization.
Hard to be excited about glance settings, particularly since they shipped a buggy UI for it already. Windows Phone would greatly benefit from a background task platform that is robust and reliable, instead.
Glance works great on my phone.
What sort of bugs are you experience. I have found no issues with Glance.
A recent update explicitly added the word Notifications along with Clock. Do you see notifications on your glance screen?
Notifications in this sense refers to icons for charging and when the phone is set to vibrate
I don't think so. WPCentral reported that the notification feature was pulled from Amber due to time constraints. But, assuming you are right, Wurzzle, that is even worse - to call those status elements notifications is just adding to the BS.
Improper wording is not a bug. As you mentioned the notifications feature was pulled and will be in BSS update with GDR3. Not a bug.
Indeed its a bug to leave the UI reflecting behavior that was removed. They even altered it in a Glance update after Amber, and still left it wrong. Agreed, its not a biggy. But I question Nokias software development prowess; I guess I don't just automatically get excited about everything they do, although I like my 925 and the 920 before that.
Customs txt tones
How about notification center?
That's in 8.1.
Not until WP8.1 early next year.
Just improve the battery
I will probably need to buy a new Nokia in order to enjoy any new features.
I can't tell if you guys at the top are being sarcastic or not. I assume yes. Att probably decided to skip gdr2 since 3 is coming right behind it. Supposed to be in November right?
+Several volume profiles
notification center and improve the battery life
1. Text reply to all calls
2. Ability to search in message hub
3. Ability to record calls
4. Separate volume controls for apps and ringer
5. Easier way to make songs as ringtones
6. Ability to edit emails when being forwarded
7. More information incall log
8. Color mix for creating your own Live Tiles color.
9. Improvement in speaker volume specially while on call (Don't know if this is possible)

Can think of these as of now...
There will be then a color gradient in the next update?
In 8.1 maybe. If they decide to bring WP8 closer to Windows 8.1, that's a logical and honestly welcome step.
I've got two answers (assuming you're holding a Nokia phone) for question 5=Nokia ringtone maker is really simple to use and for question 8=try wiztiles, honestly I've made some great tiles with it, but they have limited uses
Notification center,battery in %,
Battery percentage can be seen in settings, under Battery Saver.
http://www.windowsphone.com/s?appid=106e0a97-8b19-42cf-8879-a8ed2598fcbb just click that glance, and in windows marketplace u can see exactly the same picture, it has been there for such an long time, so I was searching how to change it to blue, nice to hear that gdr3 will make it possible
I'm most looking forward to the feature that will get people to stop whining about "Without [Insert feature here] Windows phone doesn't stand a chance."
Yup! Forgot to add this to my list.
If I understand you correctly,... :)
That would be a killer feature ;-)
Any minute now....?
I might have an iPhone by the time gdr2 becomes available for my 920 on at&t..
A color gradiant would be cool to have to really customize your theme color.
These are the kind of improvements we should be seeing with the GDR releases, this is going to be the biggest improvement so far. Very excited!
Well setting all the gimmicky features aside like new colours for glance screen, driving mode etc., coming to main missing features, when will we get file manager and third party apps access to file system in WP8?? Not seen in GDR3 :(
They already exist. Search the store.
i want a notification center where you can just swipe down like on the IOS or Android. i owned a lumia 920 and im loving it. except it has no notification center.
If you want your WP OS to be like ios or android might be better off buying a phone on one if those platforms..
I'm sorry for my ignorance, but can anyone explain to me what is actually "icon for multitasking apps"? Thank you :)
If you press and hold your back button, you'll see a list of apps running in the background (this helps if you're on facebook and want to search the net at the same time etc) instead of just being able to choose an app and go into it and repeatedly press back to close, a small "x" will appear and you can close the app straight from there
Yay, different colors for the nighttime glance screen! Wow are you guys easy to get excited, wonder how long that would last...
Thought the same.

A whole new article about 2 new colors of the glance screen! Wow.

How about USEFUL information on the glace screen? I mean, time and if the phone is charging/silent? Really?!!
That will be a nice feature for someone who does not have a Lumia 920 like I have :/
GDR3/Bittersweet Shimmer: Coming to At&t Summer 20NEVER!
Now is an exciting time to be with Windows Phone wait to you see all the updates over the next 6 months bss then the big 8.1 (blue) before 9 hits us...
Notifications central hub
Stupid MS for not doing the updates directly or why not giving it to Nokia and Samsung and each one of them who produce WP so they can release the updates at the same time fix their own phones
So VPN support will come in 8.1, what else is expected in that December/January Windows update (except better notifications) ?
I'll shimmer you bittersweetly if you know what I mean.
how about mp3 to message alerts? hopefully it will in the upcoming GDR3/Bittersweet Shimmer update? on the lighter note, where did they get the update name? A-amber B-bittersweet shimmer? these are what...? just wondering!
I'm looking forward to the new ability to add custom audible notifications. I can't imagine why they would not let you add your own custom notification sounds from the start!
Im so going to import the old MSN Messenger notification!
God this is all like watching grass grow. My wife has installed two updates to her iPhone 4s since I bought my 920.
Most people buy phones for the initial experience, not for update cycle. Should have got an iPhone if that's what you care about. Though my 920 has had 3 updates or more since it was released.
I agree. Not complaining about the 920. Just making reference to the slow updates to the OS compared to Apple and Android. They just need to step it up, especially since the WP8 OS really is lacking in some key areas. The live tiles are great, but the swipe-from-the-right pick list of apps is ridiculous. A single alphabetical list? No way to group, no way to build a "favorites" list, no way sort by category, most used, etc. Microsoft needs to do better, not Nokia. That was my point only
The 920 is barely a year old while the 4s is going on 2 years. Also, it's the carrier that's sucking for us ATT 920 owners. I guess they're too busy training their sales staff. /sarcasm :P
Yes, AT&T adds to the problem for sure. But again, blame MS for pushing updates through the carrier. It should be through the phone manufacturer or directly from MS if they want to be more customer focused. What incentive does AT&T have to push out the updates? It will just add cost to their support lines as the updates inevitably cause issues and fail on a percentage of users who attempt. Can't blame AT&T too much. If I was them, I wouldn't be so rushed to push out these updates either.
I want an update which enables my lumia 620 to show call duration in the call history..
Separate columns for incoming, outgoing & missed calls would be welcomed too... Simple :)
Good idea bro. Suggest this at uservoice.windowsphone.com
And die waiting for it.
I want notification screen, plus wat gdr3 has to offer..
Add to my 920 AND upgrade to the 1520.
Would like disable notifications for night time, and an allowed calling group for night time, whilst my home WiFi is detected. Miss this from Symbian.
Green night mode! Yummy
Awesome sauce
Hope they make it easier to create playlist for music, create album on phone and move photos on each album we want, free sound recorder app WITH NO ADS, enable call recorder to access sound system when on call, separate volume between app, ringer, notifiation, then notification center history like android or iOS.
Awsum even i was gonna say the same list of things!!! :)
You can record sounds in One Note. Which is built into the phone, no ads.
The built in sound recorder in onenotes is useless. You cannot pause while recording or playing the recorded sound -_-.. no seekbar, no timestamp, it is so basic with only 2 functions record and play but not perfect! It will stop recording when the phone is in standby mode or if you received a notification sound. If you compare this sound recorder with Symbian60 builtin app, you will be ashamed.
Implement a quiet time for phone sounds. That's a feature I really want.
This is the last GDR3 article I read, just getting to frustrating, it doesn't help seeing my brothers 1020 sitting around my house and the glance screen sticking it's tongue out at me.
The probably have the 520! :P
〽 apple stocks
Remember when custom tones was supposed to come with GDR1? I got excited. I won't get excited again until I can assign the Sonic the Hedgehog ring get chime to my messages.
Install apps to SD card would be nice.
Yes waiting for that feature ....
I was just thinkng about the colours after my freinds said it was looking awesome with red...in glance mode and i was like nokia shud release the different colours in this update and here it is... :)
What will happen after microsoft completely takeovers nokia... We will not be able to see this exclusive updates :'(
Not like that. Nokia exclusive updates+Microsoft updates will be bound more strongly. Giving us even a better experience.
Can anyone let me.... Will 820 be getting the HD screen update... I dont want additional column of tiles just the resolution and poi shud increase...
Yep, all the Lumias are getting it
You are joking, right?
The HD screen update is just to support new phones with Full HD screens (such as the rumoured 1520 and 929). Windows Phone 8 is currently (as of GDR2/Amber) limited to screens of 1280x786 (786p) resolution.
The Lumia 820 is limited by hardware to 840x480 (WVGA) resolution.
It is not possible to "update" the resolution of a screen with a software update if it is limited by hardware.
So, in answer to your question: No. The screen on your Lumia 820 will not be updated to a higher resolution, but it will likely get the rest of the features from the GDR3/Bittersweet Shimmer update.
Custom sounds. I need that.
awesome!!! whn r we going to receive this update?
Nov-dec..2013
No silent NFC?
Closing app button.....why is that taking so long? Is that such a big deal to code? Microsoft should have already had that...and should now be working on things that other phones don't have this means that they are behind other OS
I don't understand people saying there is no way to set different notifications for text, voicemail, or new email with the 920.
my phone hasn't been up graded but under ringtones+sounds those settings are there to put a custom sound for each one. am i missing something here.
Yep. Same case with me too. I don't understand what this custom sounds mean. Even I can select different tones for different activities like sms, email, etc
Ppl custom sound means you can select any sound which you download to your phones.
Yeah you can but only the pre-installed ones, lets sey you want to download a custom one from online, you can download it but it will never show up on the list. This is an EPIC FAIL.
Battery drainer
Text notifications...!!!!
ATTENTION! ATTENTION

!THE LUMIA 1520 HAS EYE SCROLLING!
Even the size of the tiles can be changed. I mean, 3 tiles in a single row..
Skinery Themes is better for WP8.
I think if everything listed here actually appears in this update, the ONLY thing anyone will be able to complain about when comparing WP to other OS's will be the apps. And we will laugh at the desperation.
You know what I would really like to see included on these updates? More colors available for live tiles. Better yet, how about a custom color picker/generator? How hard can this be to implement?
What about cortana??..is it coming in gdr3 update??
Nope, hopefully in 8.1
I like the idea of having an X to exit out of apps.
Rather than adding customized ringtones, they better add the duration to calls log.
It's just awesome!!!!
Where is the file manager and ability to download stuff from the internet or save attachments
And where is the customs sound for ring tone?
Should have bought the Nokia my friend.
How do u do custom sounds for all that stuff and not for ring tones... That's like, idk, like they are,trying to be dooshie or something like, giving a kid a bike but telling them they can't ride it. They can only look at it
Dude try ringtone maker app from nokia and your problem will be fixed
I thought you were joking. You can get your own ringtones in apps like easyring and music or download the ringtone maker app from Nokia to turn your mp3s into 40 second or less clips
Any news whether the ability to show battery percentage will come with the gdr 3? And a notification centre? Pls respond... :)
NC is in 8.1, not sure about the %, but think it's part of 8.1 too.
This is Viktor, Ceasar responding. Over.
Big whoop, I'm 99% sure they're going to have photo backgrounds for WP 8.1 like they do for Windows 8.1
Hey ppl i think there should be a playlist edit, rearrange and other features for music app...what say!???
It'd be nice to edit the ID3 info in the app.
*sighs* ATT.
Customised sound for notifications,music and ringtones is ok with us...but should also include customised brightness unlike the preset ones.....:-)
CalDAV + CardDAV, for everyone, please!
In reality what is the use of quitting apps from multitasking screen?
Not sure. People seem to think the apps continue to run full on in the background and aid in draining battery faster. Some people thinks it's an important feature...I never saw a use for it
Same with me. I think it will only make me paranoid like maybe I should quit the app if I can just to be safe:)
Open apps occupies ram space slowing processing of large files and apps. Files and apps are loaded on ram to render. Even the home screen you see is the data loaded on ram.
And ani want better multitasking,background wallpapers,folders,grid view in all apps,notifications as drag down menu and always on taskbar.split screen for 5" above screens like in 8.1 and an file manager. Then it can go heads up against android
It seems to me you should go android...
I don't think WP will ever go the way of android and iPhone and use a grid view
Not exactly a bad thing that
I want notification center!
It's good to know that they are adding cusom text and e-mail sounds. It's something I loved whrn I had an iPhone. As far as ringtones and stuff I use SoundForge and make them myself then Add them to my phone through my PC. I just hope T-Mobile doesn't lag on updates. I just switched from a 520 on AT&T to an 810 for T-Mobile so lwts see what happens.
Anyone knows when we will get file manager? We are like ages behind other OS's
Have you tried searching in the store. . . iOS also does not have a native file manager.
I know that.. But iOS n Android users can attach media files from their phone and download the same in third party apps like WhatsApp which we cannot.. This is the most basic feature a OS should have, its like you have a new bike but one wheel is missing that's all!
I'd rather have the option of turning it off during the night...
This update will be life changing for wp operating system...a new breath...looking forward to it..
What's this about restoring your phone over Wi-Fi when you reset it? I can do that now with GDR2 and Amber (Germany unlocked Lumia 920).
Should be getting my new Lumia 925 at the end of this month. These updates will be awesome!!!
This update basically fixes all problems I've had with the Windows Phone OS. Though perhaps integration with music stored on Skydrive with the Music + Videos Hub would be nice.
Does this mean that we can finally change the sounds of toasts? It's super annoying when every guy with lumia (In Finland it is quite common) has the same toast notification sound. Whatsapp is the worst :D
LOL! +1
So what's the use of getting support for quad-core processors for low end Lumias like 720? It has 480p display resolution and I doubt 1080p update will work on it.
No use for us current users, but I think necessary going forward for new devices so they look on par with android on paper marketing and all...
You are joking!? What a silly question.
"Huge amount of work on Bluetooth with various vehicles and devices." Does this mean that my MW-1 at last could work with my L920?
I hope the pace of updates continues at its current level and in a couple of years Windows Phone will have overtaken the competition in features and functionality.
Remember people that WP 8 is technically only one year old and has seen many important improvements already. Compared to Android when that was only one year old, WP 8 is looking really good in my opinion
I hope they fix Bing search. The images from a search used to be crystal clear but now they are blurry, and it's on every device. GDR2 assured that. Comment if you've noticed the same thing.
I only get that while it's downloading the full image; after a second or two I get the full resolution.
I'd settle for a real fix for 'other' storage. Gdr2 made no difference to my 820.
Why haven't they added custom SMS\MMS alrert tones to this build? Who give a $h!t about glance screen? I have it on my 822 and it's pretty much useless; the only option I use is the tap to wake up the phone and even that sucks sometimes where I have to tap the screen many times for it to even wake up. Come on MS.
Ummmm did u read custom alerts are already confirmed
He's also missing the split between GDR3 and Bittersweet Shimmer ...
Am i the only one that is concerned about the ability to close running apps in the background manually? It was a nice fact to tell other people that people didnt have to care abut closing apps after they used their phone for 5 minutes - windows phone does everything for you, you dont have to care. Will apps still close automatically?
The change isn't going to stop them being closed automatically. Truthfully, the close button actually serves no function, except for A) removing it from the list, B) removing the 'insta-resume' for that app, and C) giving people the impression that WP has concurrent multitasking. Apart from that, a close button isn't needed because those apps are taking up next-to-no resources, and literally nothing that can't be freed in an instant if needed by another app.
Agree, if the app has not been tombstoned then it is still in memory and clearing it will release that, but it is a small benefit since the OS can tombstone it as needed. It may only be for that purpose, but since most users do not know or care about those subtleties it does not seem relevant to close an app this way. I did notice some time ago that the iPhone has a similar close function of its opened apps. I don't know the apple architecture so don't know if that is more useful, but no iPhone users I spoke to even knew it existed.
From what I know of the iPhone multitasking, it's very similar to WP except that there is no tombstoning state. Instead the state is just saved to file and restored when you next open the app. So their close button has slightly more purpose, but still almost pointless.
Here is a quick lesson in hardware for everyone who says its not a big deal. It is a big deal. Would,you leave your night light or desk lamp plugged in all the time,just because you are not using it? Keeping unnecessary use to a minimum will make your hardware perform longer and faster. I don't want my apps swapping memory when needed. That jn of it self takes up unnecessary resources. Quote some statistics about how much resources running apps take up then someone could consider your,claims. Until then it is speculation and good ol fashion 1+1=2 common sense says turn off the faucet when you are not using water... Even if it is just on "a little bit"
Except that in this case the faucet is already off. When the apps become tombstoned their state is saved to offline memory, and the only resources being used are the low-res screenshot for the multitasking view. In fact you're likely to burn more cycles and battery from the combined drain of the screen, digitiser and animations while you fervently 'close' these apps than their screenshots will use over their lifetimes in the multitasker. Source: I'm a Windows Phone developer.
+1 Nik, nicely stated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALHHT1bP96U
Shame on you Microsoft, shame on you.............................
I even don't get amber update :(
What are you using that has your text disappearing? Or what are you doing to make it disappear? I can start a response here, hit the home button to go into my messages and then come back to this same window that has my unfinished response to your post.
Glance mode needs to use automatic brightness so that it can be seen better in the day light.
That would drain the battery too much
Nokia and Microsoft have great ideas / intensions, but the carriers' (AT&T) :( I bought my 920 when they first came out, I couldn't even pick the color, and like the Samsung Windows Phones STILL NO UPDATES!!! We love our Windows phone's and won't switch OS but maybe it's time for a new carrier :) We will only buy WP products for what they currently are, not what they could be updated to. :(
ATT is too busy training their sales staff to put out timely updates. /sarcasm

:P
ATT might as well forget about giving us GDR2 and focus on GDR3. Just make an official announcement why don't they?
What about the ability to change the black background to any image I choose..
This will be awesome feature
If this is coming (and it's a big 'if') then I'd expect it in 8.1 because the equivalent feature on desktop is in Windows 8.1.
Why, so you can see 5% of your background image, while the tiles cover up the remaining 95%? Have you seen the WP8 main screen?
If they allow images on background, I would prefer removing most of the tiles.
Possibly they would allow spacing too like on Windows 8.
I mean the black background in apps menu and apps that don't have any backgrounds like whatsapp im+ ..etc.. so we can customize our phones as we like..
I really want a new iteration of the lumia 1020 with 1080p support.
I hope a Nokia with 1080 display comes to T-mobile
Quick question. As far as processors go, does anyone know if the GDR3 update is only going to allow for WP8 to use quad-core processors, or is it going to also include octa-core processors and beyond?
can't wait for GDR3.. mainly cuz of custom ringtones for text messages:D
i've been waiting to download 'ba-dum-tss' and make it my message alert:D
yeesh:D
I wanna see double tap for the L620 in GDR3
I would really like to see more colors in Theme. Notifications on glance is a good idea. Also, they should do away with the lock screen when double-tap is activated.
That last one would need to be optional. I find myself often waking up the screen when it's in my pocket because walking has made the screen tap my leg a couple of times.
"Support for new Qualcomm chipsets" Does this mean we would have support for 64-bit ARM architecture (ARMv8)? Also, can anyone confirm if Windows RT 8.1 supports ARMv8? Surface RT 2 has 32-bit NVIDIA ARM processor as NVIDIA is still working on 64-bit architecture.. Perhaps other tablets offer 64-bit tablet if OS supports it.
I ask this question on TechNet Forumns, but no reply so far.. http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/55aa7df5-f981-49e0-8613-eae961f3b5ca/does-windows-rt-81-support-armv8-64bit-processor?forum=w8itprohardware
This updates looks really good, exciting! Just hope Three are good at pushing out updates!!!
I know this is sort of a newby question, but will GDR3 be a cumulative update (I know most Microsoft updates are)? If ATT decides to stop supporting the 920 and I go the flash route, I would only have to flash GDR3 not 2 and 3 to get all the Microsoft/Nokia features, Right? Of course I know I'll be waiting a while then for a GDR3 ROM
Yep, especially since features in GDR3/Bittersweet will rely on features introduced in GDR2/Amber.
"Screen rotation lock; 'X' to close out apps in multitasking; Notifications on glance screen"
I just needed those three missing features.
Thank you Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Seeing Windows Phones Growth Is Just Awesome ;!
Are any of those features not exclusive to Bittersweet? Obviously Glance is a Nokia thing but even custom tones for SMS, voicemail and e-mail would be welcome for us non-Lumia users.
The slow pace of MS updates is testing my patience.. Sometimes I feel I am handicapped by the half baked OS, I sometimes regret why I bought WP8 :( (no complaints with Nokia, they are awesome)
the problem is microsoft check everything twice to make sure it works perfect on 99% of device's BUT then give it to carriers who don't give a shit about YOU because they've got you by the balls in a 2 year contract!!! am i right or not?
20 colours? Wow! Only 16,777,196 to go then!
the problem is microsoft check everything twice to make sure it works perfect on 99% of device's BUT then give it to carriers who don't give a shit about YOU because they've got you by the balls in a 2 year contract!!! am i right or not?
Oh yeah, restore over wifi and more bluetooth support...it'd be great if my phone with software built by MS could talk to my car with software by MS :P I want my texting over voice via Ford Sync.
And I'm still waiting for Amber on L920 in my country :/
Reloaded17's Choice?
Would really love to see a File Manager!
Will the 'glace screen' thing kill my battery life on the 920 beacuse it's an LCD?
+1 Nik, nicely stated.
Separate volume control for ringer, file manager, ability to upload videos from sd card, share videos through bluetooth, and downloading of files to sd card.
We need (for Lumia 920) DNLA support , USB OTG, . all that things exist in 920 but its blocked by system (windows).
In software: default file manager

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