Lumia 800 software update rolling out

As I'm writing this post, the much awaited software update (version 1600.2487.8107.12070) for Nokia Lumia 800 is being installed on my phone. The update should significantly improve the battery performance and it also includes some usability improvements and fixed bass audio levels.

Update instructions can be found from Nokia's Lumia 800 Software Update page. The availability page there is also pretty neat, now I know for certainty that my Lumia 800 is a German Country Variant 059L7F7 (I bought it from Amazon Germany unlocked) =)

More background information about the update procedure itself at can be read at Nokia Conversations.

The battery has drained out quite quickly before now, which is why I previously posted some battery saving tips. Extra battery life is most welcome, but I'm still more anxiously waiting for the future updates that should be on their way, including camera software fixes + tethering support.

Battery saving tips for Nokia Lumia 800

One of the main problems of smartphones today seems to be the rather poor battery life - thanks to the amount of sensors, components and big screens. It's also one of the downsides of Nokia's Lumia 800, but here's a few tips for a little longer battery life based on my own experiences:

• Turn off  background tasks on as many apps as possible (Settings -> applications -> background tasks). You should also check out applications' own settings since many have multiple options for using network data and push notifications (e.g. the Facebook app)
• Reduce push email frequency (Settings -> email+accounts -> select account -> Download new content)
• Turn off 3G if you don't surf the web much (Settings -> mobile network -> Highest connection speed). This has had surprisingly big impact on the battery life, especially on days when I don't use the phone much.
• Turn off Wi-Fi if you don't have wireless networks at home or work (Settings -> WiFi). Otherwise I like to keep it on, since I haven't noticed it wasting huge amounts of battery charge (might depend heavily on the amount of surfing and downloading, though).
• Turn on Flight mode during the night (if you don't expect or WANT to receive calls) =) This has been the most effective power saver (guess it's basically the same as built-in battery saver mode, except you can turn on Wi-Fi etc. while on Flight mode)

Nokia Care (@NokiaHelps via Twitter) also hinted that I should make a backup of my phone and then reinstall it. I did that and ever since the phone has performed better than before and hasn't had any of those sudden deaths, e.g. battery dying overnight. So that is something you might also want to try if Nokia's own firmware updates via Zune or Windows Phone Connector on Mac haven't helped on battery life oddities.