Connect with us

Android

Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat Release Continues

Published

on

According to Samsung, the highly anticipated Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update is now available for owners on two more U.S. carriers, carriers that are now amongst a very small minority that have released the Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat release was rumored for weeks leading into May. In late April, Samsung pushed out the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update, something that didn’t come as much of a surprise given that it had deployed in the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 update before the Galaxy S4’s. Then, in early May, a lone U.S. carrier pushed out the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update, an update that marked the beginning of the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 roll out.

Since then, we’ve seen very few Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update details surface. Australian carrier Optus, for instance, updated its Android update schedule today and the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update remains missing. And while most carriers remain silent about their plans for the Galaxy S3, we’re finally starting to see the roll out make some progress. Or so it would seem.

Galaxy S3

It appears that the Sprint Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update was recently joined by the Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat upgrades. Samsung updated their support pages to reflect the two new Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates for the United States. The company silently updated the pages on May 23rd and made a change to its overall Android update progress report to show off the two roll outs.

These two releases come as a bit of a surprise given that they are small U.S. carriers. However, Boost and Virgin Mobile USA are both operated by Sprint, the only carrier in the United States that has pushed out a Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update so it makes sense these were the next devices in line.

In addition to confirming the two update’s, Samsung also confirmed their change logs. The change logs consist of the same Android 4.4 KitKat features that we saw Samsung deploy to its other Galaxy-branded smartphones. It’s not a huge change log but these should be welcomed additions nonetheless.

  • 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
  • SMS App Chooser – select a default application for sending and receiving SMS text messages
  • Restyled Status and Navigation Bars – status and navigation bars are translucent and can sit on top of apps, along with simplified status bar icons
  • 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.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update is still not available for the other major players in the United States and AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, U.S. Cellular, Cricket, MetroPCS, and others still haven’t made it clear when they will push out the Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update. And knowing American carriers, they probably never will. American carriers typically stay quiet about their release plans.

Samsung is expected to deploy the international Galaxy S3 LTE Android 4.4 KitKat update sometime this month though a specific date still hasn’t been nailed down. Samsung’s roll outs are typically random and unpredictable so there is no way to predict where the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update might end up.

android_kitkat-575x383

The company recently announced that it would not be releasing the software to owners of the GT-i9300 Galaxy S3, the 1GB international model. It would appear that the LTE Galaxy S3 will be the only version of the device that gets the update.

T-Mobile currently operates both the 3G and LTE version of the Galaxy S3 and it’s not clear if the carrier will update both or if it will simply update the LTE version of the Galaxy S3 with Android 4.4. We should find out more in the next few weeks.

21 Comments

21 Comments

  1. Ron Teknoprznr Price

    05/28/2014 at 9:02 am

    just received the KitKat 4.4.2 update to my GS3 this mornin’. US CELLULAR is in the KitKat game! installed fine but really haven’t had much time to delve into it much just yet. I’ll keep you all posted with my GS3 4.4.2 update experience later on. thanks for reading. later.

  2. walter hooks

    05/28/2014 at 10:44 am

    oh t mobile, why must you be last updating to kitkat?

    • suhaana suteria

      06/08/2014 at 3:49 pm

      so true

  3. Chris Hume

    05/28/2014 at 12:59 pm

    How come the virgin mobile update link is the only one on the Android rollout page that doesn’t work? Just my luck.

  4. dawn

    05/28/2014 at 6:39 pm

    Im with virgin mobile and I still haven’t got the update yet im waiting and waiting and waiting

  5. kd

    05/29/2014 at 2:16 am

    The Virgin Mobile link on the Samsung FAQ page is screwy… Copy the target URL, delete everything before and including the question mark, and it should work.

  6. Guitarman

    05/29/2014 at 3:23 pm

    Check your facts. Android 4.4 is NOT available for the S3 on Boost Mobile and no availability date per Boost.

  7. Orlando

    05/29/2014 at 7:39 pm

    When is Boost Mobile going to roll out the kitkat update for the Samsung Galaxy s3?

  8. Matt

    06/01/2014 at 11:54 pm

    Have a SGH-T999L 《T-Mobile》No KitKat yet

  9. Nate

    06/02/2014 at 10:31 am

    Just received the update this morning (Virgin Mobile). So far, no issues whatsoever. Seems to be a well rolled out update.

  10. Britney

    06/04/2014 at 4:19 am

    I’m literally checking EVERY day for the silly update, T-Mobile where you at???

  11. brian

    06/17/2014 at 6:57 am

    I am on virgin mobile and just got the kit kat update for my S3. So far so good!

  12. mark

    06/20/2014 at 1:06 pm

    I have a GS3 with virgin mobile but haven’t received an update yet… I did just receive a text from them telling me how to reset my phone after the update. Maybe that means I will get it soon.

  13. tiger

    06/20/2014 at 5:21 pm

    Got a msg from virgin mobile about resetting after updating to kit kat today. Maybe I need to connect to the WiFi to update, excited about this. Galaxy s3 owner

  14. Denver

    06/27/2014 at 9:35 am

    Verizon just updated my Galaxy S3 to 4.4.2

  15. adilene

    07/02/2014 at 10:47 am

    I have verizon and i am scared to update it beause i do not want it to delete everything, can someone tell me if it deletes everything?

  16. Dee

    07/02/2014 at 11:16 pm

    I have Boost’s S3 4.4.2 update and it’s sucks! Not only is everything in my status bar white, my battery charges extremely slow, and yes I LOST my 4G LTE. I had to change my network setting to CDMA in order for my internet to work. I immediately lost my connection after the update. I called Boost mobile and they told me I don’t stay in the coverage. I told the guy I did not move. Nerve! I should have not updated my phone.

  17. alan

    07/04/2014 at 2:37 pm

    I have boost mobile also. Got the update and im very unhappy.lost 4g, phone charges slowly. Cant send mms messages. Boost sent a message to reset phone but I deleted it before I read what to do.

  18. patesh

    09/03/2014 at 10:54 am

    4.4 vargin i vant pllis send mi

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.