New Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update Starts Rolling Out

A brand new Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is rolling out to a device that was rumored to be getting the elusive Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.3 KitKat update sometime this month.

Since February, Samsung has been pushing out Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update after Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update. In the past six months, we’ve seen the update land for a number of regions and for a number of Galaxy S4 variants including the Galaxy S4 Active and the Galaxy S4 mini. And while Samsung has made some significant progress, there is still some work to be done.

Several weeks ago, rumors suggested that Samsung was working on a brand new Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for the Galaxy S4 and more specifically, for the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A, a device that was once lingering behind on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean. Rumors suggested that the update would roll out this month though Samsung never confirmed those plans.

Today, those dreams may have been dashed as the company is now rolling out the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update to the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A. According to SamMobile, a site that tracks Samsung firmware updates, the GT-i9506 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is now pushing in Nordic countries including Sweden and Finland.

The limited release shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. Samsung always takes a staggered approach to its Android updates and this new Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat release should take several weeks to complete, if not more. Samsung’s roll outs can often take several months as the company works to upgrade thousands of devices around the globe.

Fortunately, the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A isn’t as widespread as the regular Galaxy S4 which means that its roll out should not take six months or more to complete. Samsung’s Android update roll outs are extremely unpredictable and they push out randomly. In other words, there is no way for Galaxy S4 LTE-A users to figure out when the update might hit their device.

The update itself is going to be incremental though it does bring the change to the status bar and some performance enhancements for a device that gave way to the Samsung Galaxy S5 earlier this year.

What this means is that the Android 4.4.3 KitKat for Samsung’s devices is now up in the air. Companies like HTC, Motorola and Sony have all pushed out Android 4.4.3 KitKat and Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates to alleviate Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems but Samsung seems content to roll out Android 4.4.2 KitKat updates to its Galaxy users.

For months, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 users have been complaining about Android 4.4.2 KitKat problems, problems that they hope will get solved with upcoming Android 4.4.3 KitKat or Android 4.4.4 KitKat updates. Issues range from abnormal battery drain to Wi-Fi problems to problems with cellular connectivity. None of these issues appear to be widespread which could explain why Samsung is taking its time.

The company still hasn’t confirmed any Android L details either. Android L, the update that was announced back at Google I/O 2014, will be coming to replace Android 4.4 later on this year. And while companies like HTC have confirmed Android L updates for arrival, Samsung has remained mum on the subject, at least for the time being.

Google itself is still quiet about its plans for Android L though rumors suggest that the update will come out of the beta process sometime between now and November. The update is expected to deliver a number of big time changes including design tweaks and it’s rumored to be coming alongside a brand new Nexus 8 tablet built by HTC.

Nexus 8 rumors point to a high-end device capable of taking on the iPad Air and iPad mini, Apple’s flagship iPads.