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Samsung Galaxy S4 Lollipop Update Breakdown (January)

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The Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update isn’t rolling out quite yet but thanks to a rush of new details, we know that we’re closing in on the update’s highly anticipated release. With that in mind, we want to take a look at what we know about the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update and its release as we kick off the new year.

Last summer, Google took the stage at its annual Google I/O developer conference to detail its latest Android operating system, an operating system that was once called Android L. In November, Google once again confirmed its Android L operating system only this time the company gave it a name, Android 5.0 Lollipop.

Android 5.0 Lollipop is one of Google’s biggest updates to the Android operating system and its an update that brings a number of big time features including the company’s new Material Design. These changes are massive for owners of Google’s Nexus smartphones and tablets and they’re going to be huge for owners of Samsung’s smartphones and tablets.

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Samsung is the world’s largest Android manufacturer and it’s responsible for devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4, the former Galaxy S flagship that’s since been replaced by the Samsung Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S4 has not yet received its boost up to Android 5.0 Lollipop, it remains on Android 4.4 KitKat, but all signs point to a roll out in the not-so-distant future.

Over the past month or so, we’ve seen Samsung Galaxy S4 Lollipop update details emerge at an extremely fast pace and for those that don’t keep their finger on the pulse of the industry, the details can be hard to track. Today, we want to breakdown the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update and release as we offer a look at the update’s current status.

Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop Update

First and foremost, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update is confirmed for arrival in 2015. Samsung confirmed a roll out back in late 2014 and several of its regional arms also confirmed the Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop release. This should come as little surprise to anyone with a Galaxy S4. The device is not yet two years old and Samsung typically keeps devices updated for 24 months or more.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Lollipop update is on the way but we’re not entirely sure what version of Android 5.0 Lollipop the aging former flagship will get. Samsung is currently rolling out Android 5.0 Lollipop to the Galaxy S5 though it’s clear now that the company is working on Android 5.0.1 Lollipop behind the scenes.

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Android 5.0.1 Lollipop is a bug fixer for Android 5.0 problems so it’s not surprising to see the company looking to move to a newer and more stable version of the operating system. Android 5.0.1 is all but confirmed for the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy S5 LTE-A but we still haven’t seen any details emerge for the Galaxy S4.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop leaks, the few that we’ve seen, have all been Android 5.0 Lollipop. That said, we’d be surprised if Samsung left the aging device on an older version of the software when a newer version is available. Look for the Galaxy S4 to get Android 5.0.1 or, at the very least, get Android 5.0 with the Android 5.0.1 fixes on board.

Galaxy S4 Lollipop Update Release Date

Samsung claims that it will roll out the Galaxy S4 Lollipop update sometime in early 2015. The company did not offer any specific window or even a specific date leaving the release wide open. We haven’t seen any carriers offer specific release information though we did discover one small detail that seems to hint at a potential time frame for the Galaxy S4 Lollipop release date.

Samsung Denmark, a regional arm of Samsung, claims that the Galaxy Note Edge, Galaxy S5 Active, Galaxy S5 Mini, Galaxy Alpha, and Galaxy Note 2 will all be getting Android 5.0 Lollipop updates in the future.  Specifically, it says that those updates won’t be arriving until “later in 2015.”

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S4 vs Galaxy S3 -  Size

It does not attach the “later in 2015” time frame to the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S5, Galaxy S4, or Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates. In other words, those four could be among the first four to arrive. This would make sense given their statuses. The Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 are current flagships and all signs point to them getting the Lollipop update first. The Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 are both former flagships in the hands of millions around the world.

Samsung typically upgrades its popular models in the early goings before shifting to less popular smartphones and tablets. In other words, an arrival for the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 shortly after the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 makes a ton of sense.

U.S. Galaxy S4 Lollipop Update

The United States represents a key market for Samsung and so it hasn’t been surprising to see the company focus in on the region with its Android software updates. So far, we haven’t seen any Galaxy S4 Lollipop details confirmed for the United States just yet but it looks like the Galaxy S4 could be among the first Galaxy devices to get the new operating system.

Right at the end of last year, a credible Samsung Mobile retail store employee revealed a number of new Lollipop details on Reddit and they included details about Samsung’s plans for the United States.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy S3 vs Galaxy S4 - Cameras

The major leak indicates that Samsung is planning to push the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates in early January and that they will be followed by the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4 Android 5.0 Lollipop updates for U.S. customers. This seems to line up with the pecking order that Samsung Denmark, and other Samsung arms, established with their information.

So, as of right now, it looks like the Galaxy S4 Lollipop update will follow both the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy S5 Lollipop updates in the U.S. and perhaps coincide with the Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop release.

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Brent Walsh

    01/10/2015 at 7:26 am

    Thanks for the update. Appreciate the information. Hope to see the update soon. :-)

  2. Galaxy S4 Fanboy

    01/11/2015 at 1:32 pm

    I hope the Verizon version gets updated by the end of January!

  3. Roy Harris

    05/27/2015 at 3:21 pm

    Got my update and I have to give you a failing grade text messaging was screwed up the most Had to manually go into every contact and personally assign them a ring tone for messaging instead of one spot to give text messaging a one time ring tone also the colors that are selected just does not seem to fit a 65 your old males taste will not go into more detail I hope you think a little longer and harder before you aggravate your consumers in the future

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