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Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat Update Breakdown

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In late April, Samsung started pushing out the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update. Since then, we’ve seen the update make strides but it still hasn’t made the massive push that many owners were expecting it to make in its first month and a half. With Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat release details still swirling, we want to take a dive into the update and breakdown everything there is to know at the moment.

Android 4.4 KitKat has been out since November and unfortunately, we’re just now starting to see the update hit older Android smartphones and tablets. One of those devices is the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung’s popular smartphone from late 2012 and a device that is still in the hands of millions of users around the world.

The Galaxy Note 2’s path to Android 4.4 KitKat is an interesting one. This is a device that arrived with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, skipped Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, got Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and is now getting Android 4.4 KitKat, Google’s latest update. In other words, it has received just two major Android updates, rare for a device of this caliber.

Unlike the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update, we should see the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update come to all owners of the former flagship. For those that may have missed the drama, Samsung recently killed off the Galaxy S3 GT-i9300 update due to performance issues.

That said, we haven’t seen a ton of movement with the update that first started pushing out in late April. While it has picked up some steam in recent days, several updates are still missing in action.

In an effort to provide as much clarity as we can to Samsung Galaxy Note 2 owners in the United States and around the world, here, we detail everything we know about the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update and breakdown the important details that Galaxy Note 2 users need to know about as we move forward.

Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 Releases in June

June has been a pretty slow month for the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. We’ve seen a few big releases but for the most part, the roll out remains subdued.

The update recently rolled out to the GT-N7100 models in Russia, Taiwan and Hong Kong while the LTE version of the update (Android 4.4 KitKat for the GT-N7105) still hasn’t made a very bold push.

In the past month, we’ve seen the update land for Galaxy Note 2 owners on Verizon and on U.S. Cellular but the update hasn’t reached much further than that. Most of the international community is still on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and even the United States’ neighbor to the north, Canada, is still on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

Galaxy-Note-2-Direct-dial-hidden-feature-558x575

U.S. Cellular and Verizon, the latter of which came as a surprise, join Sprint as the only U.S. carriers offering Google’s latest piece of software. Verizon is typically last in line to major Android updates so its arrival came as a shock to many in the Android community.

It has been a slow push, to say the least, though there is a good chance that we’ll see a few new updates emerge before the end of the month.

Upcoming Galaxy Note 2 KitKat Updates

While many carriers keep updates and their ETAs behind the closed doors, others like to keep their customers in the loop. And thanks to these carriers we know that there are plenty of providers that are hoping to get the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update out this month.

French carrier SFR and Vodafone Australia both expect to push the update out in June. Vodafone is specifically targeting a release in mid-to-late June though it hasn’t decided on a specific date. Australian carrier Optus says to expect the update in mid-to-late July while Telstra, another Aussie carrier says to expect the update in July as well.

Canadian carrier Rogers still claims that it will be pushing out the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update soon though it made that announcement several weeks ago so it’s not clear when the update will roll out.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Video -  020

AT&T and T-Mobile, the two carriers in the United States that have yet to deliver updates to Galaxy Note 2 users still haven’t announced Android 4.4 KitKat updates but Samsung has, at the very least, confirmed one of the update’s for arrival.

The AT&T Galaxy Note 2 variant is listed as having Android 4.4 KitKat on its product pages on Samsung’s website. The listing doesn’t point to imminent release, the listing has been live since May, but it does hint at what’s to come.

T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update is missing in action but it’s clear that it will get the software at some point down the road. There is simply no way that T-Mobile will allow its rivals to get a step ahead of it.

Android 4.4.3 & What’s Next

Android 4.4.3 KitKat is a huge bug fix update aimed at tackling Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems but it’s not clear if the update will be landing for the Galaxy Note 2 down the road.

Rumors point to a release for the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 and we’ve heard that Samsung might skip Android 4.4.2 for Android 4.4.3 on some devices but nothing is confirmed at this point. And with the Galaxy Note 2 sitting in a grey area, it’s hard to say if Android 4.4.3 KitKat or whatever is next lands for the former flagship.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Video -  021

Google recommends 18 months of software support while Samsung typically delivers 24 months. The Galaxy Note 2 falls in between both of those which means that its next update is hard to predict.

Android 4.4.3 KitKat is a possibility but there are also rumors that suggest that Google could have a new update cooked up for the summer. Rumors have hinted at an Android 4.5 or Android 5.0 release alongside a new Nexus 8 tablet from HTC.

With Google I/O coming up, we could definitely see Google announce something new for Android users. It’s also possible that Google will keep its usual July release window for its Nexus tablet. It’s not clear and Samsung probably won’t clear things up any time soon.

27 Comments

27 Comments

  1. Michael's Phone

    06/16/2014 at 5:01 pm

    You don’t hear about T-mobile’s update because they are about to be taken over by Sprint. Which typically means that T-mobile users will be left out in the cold with no update. They force you to get their equipment, seen it before when they bought out Nextel. I had to get their phone, mine was no longer supported. Go figure.

  2. Who Ask

    06/17/2014 at 12:53 am

    Lol it would be the other way around. Yes Sprint/Soft Bank is purchasing T-Mobile but replacing GSM and keeping CDMA would be a fools choice for Soft Bank. Better to change Sprint into T-Mobile/ATT GSM technology.

  3. vertabreaker

    06/17/2014 at 6:56 am

    Just got the update on my Note 2 on Vzw this AM.

  4. CA

    06/18/2014 at 4:16 am

    I just got the kitkat update this morning.running on my galaxy note2.My provider is Rogers Canada :)

    • Neil

      06/18/2014 at 6:17 am

      Just got the update on my Rogers Phone (Note 2 i317) here in Canada. Looks to have fixed my Wifi and Bluetooth issues!!!! So Happy about that

  5. Derek

    06/18/2014 at 5:22 am

    Got my VZW NOTE 2 update this AM.

    • MICHELLE

      06/18/2014 at 2:24 pm

      COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT CHANGED IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT IT, I HAVE THE SAME PHONE AND DIDN’T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT TO LET IT PUSH THE UPDATE OR NOT

  6. spidee

    06/18/2014 at 5:27 am

    spidee, just got it on my galaxy s3 rogers network

  7. Kevin Graca

    06/18/2014 at 5:27 am

    Rogers getting update right now 8:26 am June 18 on Note 2. 416MB

  8. Tan

    06/18/2014 at 5:32 am

    bell note 2, got the update last night

  9. Hugedeal

    06/18/2014 at 5:35 am

    Just got my Verizon update on note 2 this am.

    If T-Mobile is dead then no point in going with sprint T-Mobile collaboration….

    Sprint need to die and T-Mobile needs to beef up.

  10. RogersThat

    06/18/2014 at 7:40 am

    Just got Rogers update for Samsung Galaxy Note 2 — assuming its Kitkat

  11. Juan Vargas

    06/18/2014 at 7:28 pm

    I just did this update (4.4.2) yesterday on my Note 2… and it sucks. Made nothing better. All it did was make my phone glitch and freeze my Web all the time. I’m no wiz, do now I don’t know what to do. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

  12. note2bellcanada

    06/21/2014 at 12:19 am

    Just so you know if you update to kitkat on note 2 no 3rd party apps can write to sd card unless rooted and install sd fix app then need to reinstall apps and click all not new for permissions
    I have installed update and sd card became doorstop till rerooted and installed the app

  13. note2bellcanada

    06/21/2014 at 12:21 am

    Hey Juan try factory reset should fix those problems you are talking about

  14. David Howard

    06/25/2014 at 8:38 am

    Downloading now on my AT&T Note 2. Hoping it goes well.

  15. David Howard

    06/25/2014 at 9:46 am

    Well, it appears to not work – I have a nice brick in the shape of a Galaxy Note 2. It downloaded the 423Mb file, rebooted and installed from 0-100%, and then rebooted again, It gets to the AT&T symbol and then just locks up every time. I would warn anybody to think before they install this OTA update from AT&T.

  16. Jag

    06/25/2014 at 10:06 am

    Just got and downloaded for AT&T Note 2. Works great no problems. I live in oceanside, ca if that helps at all

  17. David Howard

    06/25/2014 at 2:55 pm

    Jag – glad it worked for you. Not sure why mine is hosed. I left it on the AT&T globe logo for an hour and it never went past that. Glad I have a trusty iPhone 5 sitting here I can use.

  18. Michelle

    06/25/2014 at 7:23 pm

    I did update for verizon note 2 worked fine!
    Don’t really notice much change.

  19. MJ

    06/28/2014 at 7:33 am

    Verizon Note 2 bricked after update. Verizon replaced my phone after they determined I had not rooted it. Brick and root are new words for me. Trying to figure out if I accept the update my new Note 2 keeps bugging me about.

  20. Barry

    06/29/2014 at 6:33 am

    Note 2..at&t..Just updated to kit kat 4.4.2…no problems
    New york

  21. Don

    07/03/2014 at 6:52 am

    This update is a terrible battery burner. I went from 2 days to barely 10 hours. I wish I could uninstall it. I feel like I have a IPhone now needing to keep my charger in my pocket to make the day, Very sad day for Samsung Note 2 owners. I do not have my GPS on and I shut down all “running” apps to try to make a day. Bring back the old software please!!!

  22. Don

    07/03/2014 at 6:54 am

    I am on Verizon and other Samsung owners are complaining about the same thing hapening to them with this software burning through the battery.

  23. howardd21

    07/05/2014 at 12:32 pm

    I got my Note 2 back, but it was a hassle. I had to download a new ROM and restore it from that, and then re-install everything. Now AT&T keeps asking me to upgrade to KitKat, but no thanks.

  24. Shujaat

    07/31/2014 at 12:26 am

    I bought my note 2 from hongkong in dec 2012…..i reside in india….. I received my 4.3 upgrade on time….. But its been 3 months since my friends n people around started receiving 4.4 upgrade….. But i havent received it yet…… Wenever i check for updates it shows latest upgrade already installed…. I even formatted the phone but no use

  25. H's pandit

    10/30/2014 at 8:01 am

    Ye it high muffin jiving cujcciocvo civic iii k ciucucccucugviv

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