Cortana

[toddie32]

Hi,

I have a Nokia Lumia 920 and am on the Cyan software version. I want to get Cortana but it does not seem to be available. I know someone who has the Lumia 520 and they recently got a message to say there was a new software update which enabled him to have Cortana. When I check for updates it says my phone is up to date and I wonder why I cannot get Cortana on my phone. 

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Rachel

[SynthFG · Accepted solution]

Cortana UK will come with the Denim update which is being slowly rolled out 

You will get her when your handset is upgraded to this level

when this upgrade will be mostly a question for microsoft

[lyteroptes]

Denim update?

My wife has a Lumia with Cortana that still shows as the Cyan release - just like mine but I don't have Cortana ... much to my annoyance.  

Shonky

[SynthFG]

Some of the newer devices released with Cyan came with Cortana UK enabled and don't have to wait, similarly those running Cyan on the Developers preview programme have her

Devices that came out before last autumn which received Cyan as an update do not have her enabled yet and need to wait for the Denim update which is being slowly rolled out 

[lyteroptes]

My wfe's phone may be newer than mine (second time she has had one stolen on the Paris Metro!) but has only recently been prompted to update after which she found she had Cortana.

I'm not tempted to swap though as my phone is better than her's.

[frunet]

Some newer Lumia's software comes from the factory with Cortana. Older ones like my 920 will need to wait for Denim before Cortana is available.

Denim is already available in the UK and could be made available to users of older Lumias immediately. In this case and mine, the delay is entirely down to Vodafone.

On December 18th, Techradar announced "Update: Microsoft has confirmed that the Windows Phone Denim update will begin to roll out for all Lumia devices in early January 2015. The update will continue to arrive in smaller waves for select devices before then, and its wider release is dependent on partner testing and approvals, Microsoft's Adam Fraser wrote in a Lumia blog post."

Key points -

"...early January 2015." That's when the remainder of Lumia devices should have recieved their update.

"...will continue to arrive in smaller waves for selected devices before then" implies that earrly January is the end of the deployment.

"...dependent on partner testing and approvals". i.e. Vodafone.

So, Vodafone. Enough nonsense, I'm not going to trade in a perfectly good flagship 920 which I love. Where's my Denim and Cortana? 

[SynthFG]

It's not voda its microsoft

If you look at the list you will find in a few cases the uk voda varient having denim but the unbranded ukcv still on cyan (630 or 1520 for example)

http://www.microsoft.com/en/mobile/support/software-update/wp8-software-update/availability-in-europ...

Also denim isn't the same for all handsets, whilst the newer ones get hay cortana voice activation and the full features of camera 5, these will not work on the older handsets

[frunet]

I can see that you appear to be using the country variant as a marker of whether MS has issued Denim for a particular model. However I do not agree.

Cortana is available in the US e.g. on the 920. Also, my son had an unbranded 920 and joined the development programme with Cortana - I tried it and want it.

It may be that the final MS version has not been issued for the older handsets, but it would be wrong to day that it doesn't work with them. It is also possible that there is an issue with the network operator's firmware versions that are always tweaked to suit certain unknown criteria.

It's irritating that one can purchase a 'flagship' handset for functionality and to support the initiative of a great alternative to iOS and Android, only to be left with an 'old' phone that either MS or the network operator wants ignore on the assumption that it will be replaced. That would be fundamentally wrong, particularly where MS will be looking for a greater market share, this activity can only drive people away. These older handsets are typically less than 2 years old anyway so it is wrong to consider them so.

I also wonder about Vodafone's support for MS products - when phoning them, the initial message is often about the great news that the iPhone 6 or the Samsung S4 is here. There is never such a message about the new Lumias, nor do they feature prominently in the new phone selectors.

[SynthFG]

Its not voda tho

It's MS who are controlling the roll out

Nokia / now MS have always done this by Product code which varies country to country and operator to operator

The US might well have it out, but they apparently havent launced the UK version yet. 

Voda cannot release the firmware to you until they have it from MS and have certified it and MS are going for a phased roll out 

If you look at the roll out schedule you will see that in several cases Voda UK have the update out before the unbranded Country Variants which suggests they are responding pretty promptly when they get it 

[drofidnas]

That said, Cortana is a poor relation to the US version and amounts to nothing more than a gimmick in my opinion. Most searches result in web hits instead of speech answers. So you're not missing much.