GDR2 update for Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 show up on Nokia’s servers, can be flashed now for the daring

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

For those of you who are super anxious to get Microsoft’s latest OS release, Windows Phone 8 build 10327 (GDR2) along with Nokia’s highly anticipated Amber firmware update, there’s some good news for you today.

Users in our forums and on other sites have noticed that the files are now available on Nokia’s servers for the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920. The files can be downloaded and you can flash your device directly. The bad news is you need to flash your device, which means wiping out your current data and starting fresh as you install this new ROM. That’s opposed to the carrier-sanctioned method that will preserve your data. In addition, you are likely going to miss any custom firmware for your carrier, including possibly Data Sense, should you go down this route. [Note: checking under Settings > Phone Update won't yield any results]

Because of those reasons, we don’t really advocate you go ahead and try this method. It requires some instruction following and some software installation, but we know some of you are tinkerers who don’t mind losing all your saved games and app settings. If that’s the case, head into our forums to get started or follow the instructions on the fan site Nokia Views, who have links to the ROMs for the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 (no other devices are available yet).

Windows Phone 10327 (GDR2) is a minor OS update that brings FM radio, some enhancements to Xbox Music, WAV file playback for voicemail, fixed Other storage, and other minor bug fixes in addition to enabling the new hardware found in the Lumia 1020. Nokia’s corresponding Amber update, which is what is causing the delays for release, allows the new Glance screen, flip to silence, Lumia Color Profile and an improved camera experience, making the combo of an update quite interesting for consumers.

Carriers are expected to release the update in August directly to customers, which will also feature custom firmware for that carrier, enabling such things as Data Sense in select markets. Now that we know that the final base OS and firmware package is on Nokia’s servers, it’s a safe bet that the update is nigh, though as previous experience has taught us, the update will be staggered.

Thanks, willysocks2222 and Vincent G., for the tips and vinumathew, for the screenshots

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been here covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics and ran the projectors at movie theaters, which has done absolutely nothing for his career.

349 Comments
  • I'm going in....just as soon as I read the reviews. hehe  BTW, Any way to interpret that website?
  • I used google translate to get the gist of what they were saying. 
  • Bing translate, right click the page.
  • only works in desktop browser
  • What device are you using? Give us some feedback...? Did it actually solved the other storage problem??
  • I will definitely wait for the update. 
    Very very excited it's listed, though! 
    Soon, soon! :)
  • I read the first few words and went straight to my settings and checked for an update.. I was disappointed
  • ahahaha same here ahahah
     
  • Me too
  • I'll wait for the OTA update :)
     
    Greetzz.
  • Like me!
  • Ok, I like you
  • I'll also wait for the OTA update from my carrier
  • fourth?!?
  • And believe it or not....even the Lumia 810 is getting it, just verified from NCS
  • +1
  • What about the 822? Don't forget us!
  • 822 is not discontinued.. so it will get it.. only question is when.. Verizon has been slow with updates.
  • You'll forgive me if I don't believe it. Until it shows up, it does not exist.
  • I've been hearing that for a while now.  Not believing anything TMO does until I'm listening to local radio on my phone. 
  • Some people have an update too, in their lumia's 620
  • Yes.  http://s1.directupload.net/images/130805/yuwqcab8.png
  • Orda "kullanıcı verisini sil" seçeneği koymuşlar. Güncellemeyi programdan yapsak verilerimizi koruyabiliyor muyuz?
  • Her şekilde silinecek. Sonra da sadece açılışta mobil veri ile yedeğiniz geri geliyor. İstemiyorsanız telefona güncelleme gelmesini bekleyebilirsiniz.
  • Bekleyim ben en iyisi. Siz yaptınız mı? Türkiye'de Datasense falan kullanılabiliyor mu?
  • 620 kullanmıyorum. Fakat Data Sense Türkiye'de tüm operatörlere geldi. Ayrıca artık 620 eldiven ile kullanılabilecek. Tek gelmeyen FM Radyo. Nokia Smart Cam bile var.
  • Ben de 820 kullanıyorum zaten. Sağ olun verdiğiniz bilgiler için.
  • Wuuuut
  • Turkish.
  • That language looks hard as f**k to read. O_o
  • Well, it is hard to learn but actually easy to read since the words are phonetically spelled.
  • no man, it's not hard to learn Turkish. for example I could speak Turkish even when I was just a child. and I begun to write Turkish when I was six. as you see it's not hard to learn. btw, I'm Turk, maybe it helped a bit :)
  • You must be the chosen one then. The one who has been foreseen by our fathers. Congrats :)
  • Try reading this then:
     
    Това е едно изречение на български език.
     
    И аз ще чакам да се появи ъпдейта OTA за моята Lumia 920.
     
    Поздрави на всички!
  • Hi Miti,
    Bulgarian is reading phonetically like Turkish. But word placement in sentences are almost same with english (First predicate then subject).
    Pozdravi i na tebe...
  • Actually, it looks like a cat walked accross their keyboard!
     
  • For me, it stopped being a minor update when they fixed other storage. Can't wait for OTA.
  • +1 about the Other storage fix.
  • Can't come soon enough. Still thinking of the balance Microsoft has to do between new and existing users/consumers. Honestly, I'd rather have one update per season as it gives Microsoft time to add/improve features per season. But if there's a crippling bug be it security or otherwise, immediately send that patch out and that's where the carriers should have no say!
  • Do Lumias 900 get it too?
  • You don't have Windows Phone 8, so no.
  • You shouldn't have Dan.
  • GDR2 is for WP8 Devices... Really❔
  • @rod No, GDR2' is for your car.
  • I thought my computer had GDR2 memory? (It's a joke.)
  • Unfortunately not.This is for WP8 Lumias only. :(
  • You're joking, right?
  • You can update your hardware and software at the same time (1020)
  • good one..:).. BTW my mom has 900 and she is very happy with what is there.. so no complaints there.
  • No, Windows Phone 8 devices ONLY.
  • Hahaha, thanks for the laugh.
  • I thought we couldn't look into Nokia's servers anymore... ❔❔
  • I think that was OS files that weren't public yet. This site shows what you can download now.
  • i rather see u guys inform us only for OTA updates. think we all wanna update things properly from the phone's own update system. right?
  • Wrong.
  • thats funny right there
  • Over the Air
  • Dude, this is WPCentral, which catters to WP hobbists and enthusiasts. Your average reader here is much more likely to be interested in grabbing the latest updates and what not. So of coarse they should report on this. Personally, I'll wait until an official update because I doubt the new features are worth the effort of flashing my phone.
  • "I want less news!" (SMACK!)
  • Rom Lumia Amber for Lumia 520 AT&T, 620, 820, 920 download at here
    https://tuananhict.wordpress.com/2013/08/05/romlumia-amber-for-lumia-update/
  • Can it be flashed to any L620, no matter the carrier?
  • you can see my video review:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwjjYcPgbUg
  • Those ROMs don't work for my Lumia 620.
  • i have flashed mine with vodafone ireland rom and can confirm data sense is there and everything else!! i finally have my fm radio !!!!
  • Did you really❔
  • yeah did it about an hour ago, she's running like a dream !!!
  • Camera improvements? And what about smart cam?
  • yeah that's there too, a few short video tutorials to show you how to use it when first setting it up
  • Sweet
  • careful though, you could get different results because youre living in the US. Im eager too but i think i will wait.
  • Once you have the Amber Update (and FM radio) do you need a radio app to run it or is it "baked" into the phone ?
  • no you don't need any app, just go into your music and it's right there !!
  • You do need headphones for the radio, which is a drag