Nokia disables zoom on Lumias to increase camera speed

Nokia disables the function to zoom in on a photo afterwards on the Lumia 1020 and 1520. By no longer saving photos in the highest resolution, the devices should be able to take photos faster in practice.

The move is drastic because Nokia moved the ‘zoom in afterwards’ function to the front as the main distinguishing element of the Lumia 1020 and later the 1520. Nokia discussed the move with the Finnish site Teknikkatalous. The change will be part of the Lumia Cyan update, a release of Windows Phone 8.1 with additions from Nokia itself.

It is unknown whether the function will remain available as an option, but that is obvious, because it is a distinctive feature. Nokia is making the change after complaints that taking photos on phones with Pureview cameras is slower than on other smartphones. No longer saving the photo in high resolution should drastically reduce the time it takes the phone to capture a photo.

In addition, Nokia adjusts algorithms for color balance, light sensitivity and noise reduction with the update, which should lead to better photos on many Lumia devices. Lumia Cyan also includes changes to the photo display software. All photos are now in the same overview, including the photos made with, for example, Refocus.

Nokia will release the Lumia Cyan update this summer along with Windows Phone 8.1. The Finnish manufacturer will no longer do this independently. Microsoft says it will complete the acquisition of Nokia’s telephone division this month. In the meantime, China has also approved the takeover. Both companies are probably still waiting for approval from India, where Nokia is in conflict with the government over a tax case.