Nokia released its Portico over-the-air (OTA) update to Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 in December last year. Now reports suggest that Nokia has started shipping the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 with the Portico update installed right out of the box.

The Portico update was rolled out to only AT&T in the U.S. and Rogers in Canada, and users outside these regions are expected to get the update in February beginning.

"We've just got word from a Windows Phone Central reader that the Portico update is pre-installed in a Lumia 920 which was received from Dutch retailer KPN. According to the tip the build presently listed on the device (8.0.10211.204) matches what we've previously reported on when talking about the latest Windows Phone 8 update," reported WP Central.

The Portico update brings enhancements in messaging, more efficient and reliable Bluetooth connectivity, more efficient and reliable start-up sequence, and enhancements in imaging performance and battery management to the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820.

"Although this update is initially available for owners on AT&T and Rogers in North America, we haven't forgotten about Lumia owners in other markets. Rest assured, we are working with Microsoft and our operator partners around the globe to ensure the highest quality software updates for our family of Lumia smartphones. Together with Microsoft, we aim at beginning to deliver these updates to other markets in early February 2013," per Conversations By Nokia.

Nokia's Windows Phone 8 (WP8) flagship smartphone Lumia 920 has enjoyed high popularity in the smartphone market. The Portico update will provide even further enhancements to the phone, which may increase the popularity of the Lumia 920 slightly.