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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat Update Roundup

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update is getting closer. With that in mind, we take a look at the most recent and the most important Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update details as we wait for Samsung to deploy the long awaited upgrade from Google’s Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners have taken an interesting path to Android 4.4 KitKat. When the device was first announced back in 2012, it was one of the first devices to sport Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box. Many believed that the Galaxy Note 2 would be among the first to receive the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update that arrived that November but unfortunately, that didn’t pan out.

Instead of a quick upgrade to Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, Samsung skipped over the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update, a move that forced Galaxy Note 2 owners to wait for Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Android 4.3 Jelly Bean didn’t arrive until November of last year, almost six months after the update was first announced.

Currently, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean but it appears that it may not be that way for long. Many weeks ago, Samsung confirmed that it would be delivering a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update in the United States. Samsung Poland quickly confirmed that it too would be offering Galaxy Note 2 owners an Android 4.4 KitKat upgrade.

Since then, Galaxy Note 2 details have have pouring out, teasing Galaxy Note 2 users with future upgrades and possible Android 4.4 KitKat update release dates.

As we move deeper into April, it’s clear that we’re nearing the start of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat roll out. And with Galaxy Note 2 users looking for answers, we think its appropriate to take a look at everything that we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 upgrade and roundup all of the important details for owners of Samsung’s aging former flagship.

Android 4.4 KitKat Should Land For Everyone

At this point, it can be assumed that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update will be rolling out to every single Galaxy Note 2 model on the planet. Samsung USA confirmed it, Samsung Poland confirmed it, Sprint in the U.S. has confirmed it, carriers in Australia have confirmed it, a French carrier recently confirmed it, and the update recently showed up in a benchmark for a model based in Korea.

This should not come as much of a shock to anyone. The Galaxy Note 2 boasts some powerful internals including 2GB of RAM and a quad-core processor. It’s more than capable of handling Android 4.4 KitKat, an incremental update that is designed with lower spec’d devices in mind. Obviously, release dates will not be created equal but we’d be shocked if Galaxy Note 2 models missed out on the upgrade to Android 4.4. Whatever is next is another story.

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The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is approaching its second birthday. Samsung typically kills off support in an around the two year mark. That puts the Galaxy Note 2 into a bit of a gray area at the moment and because of that, Galaxy Note 2 owners are in a bit of a gray area when it comes to the release of the next major Android update, said to be Android 4.5 this summer.

Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat Release Rumored

So now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let us speak on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update release date. Unfortunately, Samsung did not confirm any specific timing when it announced the update several months ago which once again means that most Galaxy Note 2 owners are, once again, at the mercy of carriers.

Most carriers do not release specific release date details which means that most owners trudge along towards a release date in the dark. Rumors help set the stage but rarely are they definitive given that software update release dates can change at the drop of a hat.

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All along, we’ve heard that the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update will deploy in either April or May. The latest rumor suggests that its release could be imminent as a Samsung customer service representative in Korea suggested that it could deploy in mid-April. That remains unconfirmed but it does line up with the timing we’ve seen from several carriers.

Weeks ago Optus, a small Australian carrier, announced that it planned to roll out the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update in April. Recently, French carrier SFR claimed that it plans to roll the update out in May. The update can’t escape either month and at the moment, it’s looking like it may start rolling out within the next six weeks or so.

Most Android 4.4 KitKat Releases Weeks Away

The roll out could start any day now but most releases are likely weeks away if not months away. Optus says that it still hasn’t received the update from Samsung. That means that its update is still weeks away at least because the carrier is going to need to put the device through proper testing before it can be released.

Vodafone Australia also recently confirmed the update for arrival but it also says that it has yet to receive the update from Samsung. Its testing process typically takes several weeks at least which means that its arrival is still a number of weeks away at least.

Samsung’s Android update roll outs typically take a number of months before they deploy to every single Galaxy device. Take for example, the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean updates. The Galaxy S4 update has been rolling out since October, the Galaxy S3 update since November, and yet there are still updates that have yet to roll out.

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The Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates still haven’t completed either. They have been rolling out since the beginning of the year and major carriers like Verizon are still lagging.

So while we could certainly see the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update deploy in mid-to-late April or even May, there will likely be some updates that emerge during the summer time, months after the start date. We’re already seeing the signs.

Feature-Set Should Be Familiar

Finally, we haven’t heard anything extraordinary about the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update itself. That is to say that we haven’t heard any whispers or seen any carriers confirm anything out of the ordinary. Instead, it’s looking like the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update will be fairly similar to the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates that have been rolling out.

What this means is that all Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update’s should contain these features, rather than Samsung Galaxy S5 software features:

  • Location Menu: An integrated location menu enables users to easily activate GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks, while simultaneously checking the battery usage of apps running location service capabilities.
  • Enhanced Messaging: Enables users to choose between Messages or Hangouts as their preferred default messaging application, and select from a larger assortment of updated Emoji icons.
  • Upgraded Google Mobile Service (GMS) apps: Users can automatically back up photos and video and can open, view, rename and share Google Docs and files.

Of course, we fully expect carriers to put their own twist on these updates with specific fixes and enhancements for their version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

At this point, this is everything that we think Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners need to know about Android 4.4 KitKat so at this point, most can just sit back, relax, and wait for Android 4.4 KitKat to arrive.

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