Introduced back in September 2014, the Lumia Denim firmware update promised to bring convenient new features and great new camera improvements to all Windows Phone 8 Lumia smartphones. 4 months later, the update finally looks to be in its accelerated rollout phase.

Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 comes paired with the new Denim update, so all of the new OS features like folder support, improved Internet Explorer download speeds, VPN support, new Cortana regions and more are included.

The Denim update also introduces new features of its own. Thanks to Lumia devices with SensorCore technology users can now activate Cortana hands-free by simply saying ‘Hey Cortana’. The Glance Screen on supported Lumia devices also got updated as it can now show even more information from apps.

But the main talking point here is the camera. Lumia Camera loads up almost instantaneously and users can now take HDR pictures with the new Rich Capture mode. There’s also 4K support now which is a blessing and a curse. While 4K video quality is great, the storage requirements can really take a toll on devices without MicroSD expansion. After capturing your beautifully taken images and videos, new editing features to adjust HDR exposure levels and create action shots from video can be useful. Processing times can take a little longer as can be expected when dealing with 4K video, especially on a smartphone.

We’ve covered Denim extensively already, so head over here to check out all our related coverage. While we wait for Windows 10 for phones to expand to additional devices, the Denim update does a good job at quenching the thirst for new features. It certainly doesn’t disappoint especially for those with flagship devices like the Lumia 1520. Was it worth the wait? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

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