Windows Phone 8 update rolls out to Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 handsets today

Nokia and Microsoft have just launched an update for Nokia's Lumia 920 and 820 handsets that will make improvements to Bluetooth and messaging among other features.

Owners of AT&T’s Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 are in for a treat this week.  On Wednesday, Nokia and Microsoft began rolling out an update for both of Nokia’s Windows Phone 8 handsets.

The over-the-air update improves Bluetooth reliability and connectivity in addition to enhancing Nokia’s Messaging app. The update will also help the Lumia 920 and 820 start up faster and will improve the device’s battery management. According to Nokia, the software upgrade is only available for customers using AT&T and Canadian wireless provider Rogers. Windows Phone users on other carriers’ networks weren’t completely neglected – Nokia announced that it is “working with out operator partners in all regions to ensure the highest quality experience in every market.”

The company has not slated a specific launch window for this update across carriers, but Nokia said that it is “working closely with Microsoft…to deliver these updates to other markets in early February 2013.”

“Because we’re committed to providing a fantastic experience to our Lumia 920 and 820 customers, we are releasing a software update that brings a number of enhancements initially to the Nokia Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 at AT&T in the United States and to the Lumia 920 at Rogers in Canada,” Nokia’s Jason Harris wrote in a company blog post.

The long-awaited update goes by the codename “Portico” and is particularly significant because Windows Phone users have experienced issues receiving updates in the past. With Windows 7.x, users found that many updates were delayed for months. According to Paul Thurrott’s SuperSite for Windows, some users were forced to install updates via PC with their phones tethered over Wi-Fi.

Hopefully Windows users will see this change with Microsoft’s new Windows Phone 8 platform. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that AT&T is the first to launch this “Portico” update, seeing that the Lumia 920 is currently exclusive to the carrier.