Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat Update Breakdown (Round 2)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update has been rolling out since mid-February but the release is still far from complete. With many users still waiting for the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update to arrive, we want to take a close look at the latest details and offer up a look at what we expect in the future.

Earlier this year, Samsung started pushing out its version of the Android 4.4 KitKat update that first started landing for Android smartphones and tablets in November of last year. And while Galaxy Note 2 owners had to wait and deal with a bit of uncertainty given the lack of information and the device’s age, the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update started rolling out at the end of April.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is in an interesting position. The device, which arrived with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean back in 2012, has only received two major updates since launch. Those update? The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update that arrived at the tail end of last year and the Android 4.4 KitKat update that’s rolling out right now. The fact that Android 4.4 serves as the device’s second major update puts greater importance on an otherwise small incremental piece of software.

Thing is, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat has been moving out at a snails pace and only recently has the update started to gain some ground in the United States and around the world.

With Android 4.4.3 and now Android 4.4.4 KitKat now available for a number of devices, Galaxy Note 2 users are looking for answers. In an effort to provide as much clarity as we can to Galaxy Note 2 owners in the United States and around the world, we want to detail everything we know about the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update and breakdown the important details that all Galaxy Note 2 owners need to know about right now in late June.

Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat Roll Out Continues

Recently, the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update landed for users on U.S. Cellular and Verizon in the United States. Shortly after that, the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update pushed out to thousands of Galaxy Note 2 owners in Canada with carriers like Bell, TELUS and Rogers leading the charge.

It was only a matter of time before another carrier in North America pushed out a Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update and today, the AT&T Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update started pushing out.

AT&T becomes the latest carrier to deliver the heralded update to Galaxy Note 2 owners and as expected, the software update delivers a number of enhancements and fixes including:

• New Lock Screen Access
  • Media Controls – full-screen album art and media controls when listening to music
  • Camera Shortcut  – access the Camera application right from the lock screen
• Improved user experience when multiple messaging apps are installed – All SMS and MMS messages are together in the same app, alongside other conversations and video calls.
• Visual content such as photos, videos, maps, books, and games are even better with full-screen immersive mode. The UI stays hidden while interacting with the content.
• Restyled Status and Navigation Bars – status and navigation bars are translucent and can sit on top of apps, along with simplified status bar icons
• New storage access framework – Simple for users to browse and open documents, images, and other files, across most customer preferred document storage providers.
• Consolidated Location Settings – location services are integrated and more detailed by new Location menu
• Expanded Emoji Icons
• Wireless Printing – supports printing over Wi­-Fi and Bluetooth
• Prevention Information pop-up message is suppressed.
• New platform support for secure NFC-based transactions through Host Card Emulation (HCE).
• Beats Music is Preloaded
• Video player closed captioning Settings > My device > Accessibility > Google subtitles (CC) and Samsung subtitles (CC)
• Can be set sound for Samsung apps (call/message/email/calendar) Setting > my Device > Sound > Samsung applications

As you can see, it’s a substantial update. We expect the one remaining Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update in the United States, the one for the T-Mobile variant, to come equipped with a number of changes as well. Of course, the U.S. and Canada aren’t the only ones with the Galaxy Note 2.

We’ve seen the Galaxy Note 2 hit international variants in recent days as well. The Galaxy Note 2 GT-N7100 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update recently rolled out to Vodafone owners in Italy, Greece and Germany and device owners on A1 in Austria to name a few. As for the LTE model, the Galaxy Note 2 GT-7105, it’s moving through Asia and recently landed for select users in Singapore and the Philippines.

Android 4.4.2 KitKat is moving slow but we have seen a pretty good pickup inside of the month of June.

Missing Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat Updates

There are, however, still a number of Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates that remain missing in action. The T-Mobile Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update is one of those updates and unfortunately, there is still no time table for its arrival. T-Mobile will, more than likely, announce the update on the day that it rolls out.

Now that we’ve seen all of its rivals push the update out, there is a good chance that we’ll see the software push in the next couple of weeks as T-Mobile tries to keep pace.

As for other carriers, it’s looking like we’re going to see a majority of carriers push the update out either in late June or in July. Vodafone Australia, Telstra, Optus, and French carrier SFR have all said that they plan to push sometime within the next five weeks or so though the timing represents an ETA and nothing more.

Release dates are dependent on internal testing and there is always a chance that testing from Samsung or from the carriers themselves will force a delay. From the look of things though, we expect the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update to continue to press on in the next three to four weeks as Samsung aims to wrap up an update that has been pushing out for close to two months now.

Android 4.4.3 KitKat, Android 4.4.4 KitKat, Android L

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is lagging and that’s caused plenty of people to wonder about the prospects of an Android 4.4.3 KitKat update or Android 4.4.4 KitKat upgrade.

We haven’t seen, or heard, anything that points to Samsung or its carrier partners skipping Android 4.4.2 for Android 4.4.3 KitKat or Android 4.4.4. However, given that these are not major Android updates, there is certainly a chance that the Galaxy Note 2 could acquire one or the other down the road, especially since they contain vital bug fixes. That remains unconfirmed and extremely hard to predict.

Today, Google announced Android L, its brand new Android update that features UI changes and an assortment of other features. It’s an exciting update and it’s one that Google is working on with Google. It’s hard to say if the Galaxy Note 2 will get Android L. It’s still not two years old, Samsung typically offers support for two years, which means that it’s very possible.

However, with Android L rumored for fourth quarter, it could be that Samsung opts to stick with its guns and kill off support after two years. We’ll just have to wait and see.