New Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat Release Misses U.S.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat release arrives for a number of new users today though not in the U.S. where several Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat updates remain unreleased.

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update has been rolling out since February. And while it has landed for a number of variants including the AT&T and Verizon Galaxy S4, it’s still hasn’t pushed out for some users. Today, one of those missing Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat updates has emerged from the shadows.

According to SamMobile, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is now pushing out for the international version of the smartphone. The update is currently limited to the Netherlands though it should start pushing out to other regions in the next few weeks. Samsung typically rolls its updates out extremely slowly and updates can typically take weeks to fully deploy.

The Galaxy S4 Active Android 4.4 update is going to be similar to the Android 4.4 KitKat updates that we’ve seen push out to owners across the planet. The software brings white status bar icons, a new way to switch between the default messaging application and Hangouts, and a number of other enhancements that aim to improve the device.

This new release unfortunately isn’t aimed at Galaxy S4 owners in the United States that are still waiting for the Android 4.4 KitKat update. In particular, AT&T Galaxy S4 Active users are still waiting for KitKat, an update that was supposed to push out in April, and has been on temporary hold since the tail end of last month.

On April 16th, AT&T started pushing out the Galaxy S4 Active Android 4.4 KitKat update. The release came as a bit of a surprise given that several regular Galaxy S4 models, including the Verizon Galaxy S4, had not received the upgrade. Shortly after the start of the roll out, Samsung and AT&T halted the push for unspecified reasons.

Since then, the update has been on hold and neither company has revealed when the roll out might start up again. The fact that the international model is getting Android 4.4.2 KitKat is a good sign though it does not confirm an imminent update. AT&T Galaxy S4 owners interested in Android 4.4 should keep an eye on the device’s support page. When the update goes live, AT&T will likely update the page with all of the pertinent details.

The AT&T Galaxy S4 Active Android 4.4 KitKat isn’t the only Android 4.4 KitKat update missing in the United States. MetroPCS and C Spire Wireless still haven’t pushed out their versions of the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update. The carriers still haven’t announced any details and it’s not clear when they might be pushing out the missing updates.

American carriers typically remain silent about specific release dates and owners on MetroPCS and C Spire Wireless should not expect to hear about the release prior to the release date.

The Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Active Android 4.4 KitKat updates are just a few of the KitKat updates that Samsung is rolling out. The Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update remains extremely active and the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates are slowly making their way to users of the two former flagships. More Android 4.4 KitKat updates are expected to arrive in the latter stages of May and in June.

Samsung is also rumored to be working on an Android 4.4.3 KitKat update for the Galaxy S5 and the Galaxy S4 though rumors suggest that we could see it emerge for several other devices including the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2. Android 4.4.3 KitKat is expected to be a bug fix though it’s not clear what it will bring to owners of Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones.