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The Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phone Tango update started to roll out a few ago and after what seems like an age it’s finally landed on our Nokia Lumia 800. This update takes the smartphone to Windows Phone firmware version 7.10.8773.98 and brings with it a host of new features.

The Nokia Lumia 800 is a 3.7-inch Windows Phone smartphone that comes with a 1.4GHz processor and 8-Megapixel camera. It’s very much our primary Windows Phone and while we’ve seen the Tango update come for other devices in the range it seems like an age since the update was announced!

Check out our Nokia Lumia 800 Ultimate User Guide

Oddly enough, before the Windows Phone firmware version 7.10.8773.98 update took place on our Nokia Lumia 800, there was an intermediary update of 7.10.8112.7. However, as soon as this one was completed it started the latest update. Did anyone else have to do this two-step update or did you find that it simply went straight to the higher end versin? Let us know, we’d be interested to know! 

We’ve been keeping an eye out for the firmware update, something that takes a little patience as many people waiting for the Windows Phone Tango update can attest to. It seems an issue for any phone, on any platform, in any country so we’re not alone!

We were checking for updates on the Nokia Lumia 800 but it’s also worth plugging it into Zune on your computer every now and again to see if the update has hit and just hasn’t gotten around to informing your handset.

If you think you’ve got the update but aren’t too sure, then head over to the Settings> About page and if you have Windows Phone 7.10.8773.98 then you’re up to date.

So, what does the Nokia Lumia 800 get in the way of new features with the Windows Phone 7.10.8773.98 firmware update? There are a host of stability updates that fix minor issues within the phone itself and we’ve found that it adds a lot more colour and variety to the Metro UI. For example, colour has been added to the font in Music Player, which may not be a big thing but makes it feel warmer and more friendly!

Internet Sharing

The main addition to the new Windows Phone Tango refresh has to be Internet Sharing, also know as tethering and is something the Nokia Lumia 900 and Nokia Lumia 610 come with from the get-go, as they ship with Tango. Internet Sharing allows you to hook up your laptop to the internet through your Nokia Lumia 800. It’s completely wireless, and it simply allows you to use your phone as a portable modem – with a standard broadband connection replaced by a mobile network connection.

Video messaging

Your Nokia Lumia has always been able to add images to Text Messages but with the Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone 7.10.8773.98 firmware update you can now attach video clips to your text messages as well. An earlier update allowed you to add single video or audio clips but with this latest update you’ll find that multiple uploads are allowed. Working in much the same way as picture messaging you can add video, or audio, so you can send someone a special message, show friends where you are, or family what you’ve been up to! 

Something we’ve noticed with this latest update is that it offers you the option of adding ringtones to your messages, which didn’t happen with our Nokia Lumia 710 Tango update and isn’t a feature on either the Nokia Lumia 900 or Nokia Lumia 610 currently! 

SIM Contacts

Here’s a quick and easy new update. It’s now possible with this update to export Contacts to your SIM card and also selectively import Contacts from your SIM card contacts to your phone. Now, anyone who used to own a Symbian phone will know how this worked as it was a basic feature of the platform but it seems Windows Phone has now caught up, making it easier to buy a Nokia Lumia and get it working the way you want it to!

Marketplace icon

It’s not just the big things that the Nokia Lumia 800 Windows Phone 7.10.8773.98 firmware update brings, it’s also the little things that open up the OS to a world of possibilities. For example, we all know that Nokia Lumia devices come with unique content in the Nokia Collection. Now, the Marketplace icon has taken that one step further with the Nokia ‘n’ now showing on the Start screen, showing how there’ll be more and more personalisation going forward.

Background tasks

We use back-button multitasking a lot on all of our Nokia Lumia 800, so the increase from five live tasks to six is a welcome one. It means that your Nokia Lumia Windows Phone will remember further back and allow you to keep more apps in stasis, ready to be returned to again at a moment’s notice.

Flip to silence

This isn’t something that we can really highlight with a photo but it’s a neat little trick that means you don’t need to go messing with your phone when you don’t need to. The idea is that if you’re in a meeting, or trying to have a lie-in, and the phone or the alarm goes off, all you need to do is flip the phone over and it will go silent. What’s more, keep it face down when you’re in meetings and it will stay quiet. So no distractions!

Got your Nokia Lumia 710 Windows Phone Tango version 7.10.8773 firmware update and spotted something different we’ve missed? Let us know in the Comments below.