Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop Release Breakdown (April)

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update has been pushing out since February. In the weeks since the update’s initial arrival, it has made solid progress in the United States and in regions around the world. With March coming to a close, we want to take a look at everything we think you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release as we march into the month of April.

After Samsung rolled out the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update in December, many people expected Samsung’s next Android 5.0 Lollipop update to land for its other flagship, the Galaxy Note 4. That, of course, didn’t happen. Instead, the company moved to the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 before finally pushing out the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update in February.

As expected, the Galaxy Note 4’s first major Android update is a big one and it brings enhancements, fixes and new features to a device that’s only been out since October. Since February, the update has landed for a number of different variants in a number of different countries as Samsung and its carrier partners work to get it out to everyone that bought the new flagship.

March in particular was a busy month for the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release and April figures to be just as busy. And while Samsung and its carrier partners are often reluctant to pass along information, that doesn’t mean that the table isn’t set.

In fact, we have a ton of information about the current state of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update release and we want to share that information with you as we push deeper into the year. Here, we breakdown what we know, and think we know, about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update plans.

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop Release Making Progress, Slowly

Samsung doesn’t announce all of its Android 5.0 Lollipop updates so sometimes it might seem like the company isn’t making any progress when really it is. Such is the case with the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release. It’s moving extremely slowly but we’re still seeing the occasional update roll out to owners in the international community.

Most recently, the update’s landed for some Galaxy Note 4 users in South Africa and Spain. Users on Vodafone in those countries should now have access to the Android 5.0.1 Lollipop update. While you might not live in one of those countries, you should appreciate the fact that the roll out is still moving. Samsung’s updates are unpredictable so those of you with an international model will just need to remain patient.

Samsung’s got its work cut out for it. The Galaxy Note 4 is available on tons of carriers in tons of regions around the world. This is an update that is going to take a whole lot of time. We’re probably still several months away at least from the end of the Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update so you’ll simply need to remain patient. It’s a slow roll out but we do expect to see pickup in April and May.

Galaxy Note Edge Lollipop Release

As for the other variant of the Galaxy Note 4, the Galaxy Note Edge, we also saw its Lollipop update make some progress in March. The update is now available in Australia, Korea, and India and it should start to pick up the pace in the near future.

In the United States, only one Galaxy Note Edge Android 5.0 Lollipop update is confirmed (T-Mobile’s) but it should land for all five variants at some point in the future.

This roll out is moving a little slower than the Galaxy Note 4’s though that’s not unexpected. This isn’t a flagship phone and flagships typically are the focus of Samsung’s roll outs.

US Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop Update Update

In the United States, we’ve seen two carrier deploy Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates. Sprint and AT&T are currently offering the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update in the United States. Sprint’s update rolled out awhile ago while AT&T’s recently pushed. It should be finishing up soon so AT&T Galaxy Note 4 users should check in the device’s settings for their Lollipop update.

This means that there are three Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates remaining in the United States. Of the three (Verizon, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile), only T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update is confirmed.

The carrier’s update page still lists it in “Manufacturer Development” which means that Samsung still hasn’t passed the software to T-Mobile for internal testing ahead of its release. Carrier testing is unpredictable but it typically takes a couple of weeks to complete. So, we could still be a few weeks away from a T-Mobile release.

We haven’t seen any details emerge for the U.S. Cellular and Verizon Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates.

New Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop Release Imminent

There is a major Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release on the horizon.

Earlier this week, Canadian carrier Bell announced that it will release the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update in early April. The carrier made the claim on Twitter though it did not outline a specific Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release date. Carriers rarely out specific release dates ahead of time because Android update releases are dependent on the testing process behind the scenes.

As we noted, this is the first concrete Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release window we’ve seen for Canada. And at the very least, it looks like Galaxy Note 4 users on Bell will get their upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop sometime next month. We would not be surprised if we saw more carriers follow suit though. Canadian Android updates typically hit more than just one carrier on the first day of availability.

Rogers, TELUS, and other Bell rivals have yet to confirm specific release windows but there’s a good chance that they will deploy their firmware next month, perhaps in early April like Bell. Rogers was the first to confirm a Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release though the carrier still states that a release date is “To Be Determined.” That could change very soon.

Most Carriers Remain Silent

Bell, Rogers and T-Mobile are talking about their Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates but most carriers aren’t. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise given how guarded carriers are about release dates. Most don’t want to set expectations because update release dates can change very quickly depending on how the internal testing goes. Still, the silence is a bit odd.

Carriers that typically confirm release windows ahead of time are still silent about their plans for the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update. In particular, Australian carriers are lagging behind. Vodafone Australia, Telstra and Optus, three carriers known for being candid with customers, aren’t talking about Galaxy Android 5.0 updates yet. Maybe it’s a change in policy, maybe it’s the simple fact that they haven’t received anything from Samsung.

French carrier SFR, who at one point said that it would get a Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update out in January (then February) hasn’t issued any new information in weeks.

Whatever the reasons, it’s a sign that this update is not going to finish up in April. Or May. And probably not June either. All Galaxy Note 4 users can do is remain patient and hope that the long wait pays off with key bug fixes for Android 5.0 Lollipop problems.

Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop Problems

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop problems continue to be problematic for many Galaxy Note 4 users and we’re even starting to see some AT&T users run into Galaxy Note 4 issues.

AT&T users are complaining about Bluetooth problems, issues with private mode files, and battery drain issues. There are also a couple of growing threads that feature a number of complaints about the AT&T Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update. It’s clear that there are issues plaguing this update, just like there are issues plaguing the other Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates that we’ve seen.

This is precisely why you need to be extremely careful when your Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update finally arrives. You need to prepare your device, gather feedback, and think about avoiding the update the first day that it arrives.

Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.1 Lollipop Update & Release

Recently, there’s been a lot of back and forth about the potential for a Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 release. For those that don’t know, Google’s rolling out an Android 5.1 Lollipop update that brings feature tweaks and tons of bug fixes for Nexus smartphone and tablet users. Here’s what you need to know heading into April.

First off, if Samsung is planning to release Android 5.1 Lollipop updates, it hasn’t started development. A credible source claims that Samsung still hasn’t entered the lab with Android 5.1. What this means is that an Android 5.1 Lollipop release is months away, at least. Development takes a ton of time and it’s clear that Samsung hasn’t begun to work on it.

Now, does this mean that Samsung won’t use Android 5.1 to roll out Galaxy S6 features to older devices? No. It just means that nothing is coming to the Galaxy Note 4 or any other Galaxy smartphone in the imminent future. It’s clear that the company is focused on Android 5.0.1, Android 5.0.2 and Android 5.0 Lollipop roll outs, not Android 5.1.