Galaxy Note 2 & Galaxy S3 Android 4.4.2 Updates Hit More Users

The Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update and the Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update have both hit more users today as Samsung continues its KitKat push in North America and in the United States.

In late April, Samsung started pushing out the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update. A few days later, Sprint pushed out the first Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update. In the weeks since, we haven’t seen the widespread push that we typically see from Samsung’s Android updates in the weeks after the initial release. That doesn’t mean that it’s not making progress though.

We’ve seen the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update land for several regions and several different devices including the Verizon Galaxy Note 2 and the U.S. Cellular Galaxy Note 2. The Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat push has been a little slower though the update did land for the Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile variants of the Galaxy S3 in the U.S.

Today, the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates landed for a ton of users as Canadian carriers Bell, Rogers, TELUS, Kodo, and others rolled out the upgrades to their user base.

The roll out has been a long time coming. Rogers, a carrier that offers early information about its Android update plans, recently announced that it would be rolling out Android 4.4 KitKat for the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2 in the near future. The carrier did not outline specific release dates but that doesn’t matter now.

What matters is that the Android 4.4.2 KitKat updates are both here and available to download for Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 across Canada. From what we’ve heard, the update is Android 4.4.2 KitKat and not Android 4.4.3 KitKat.

We’ve also heard that the updates are substantial with the Galaxy Note 2 update checking in around 500MB in size and the Galaxy S3 update just under 400MB. Canadian Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 owners upgrading to KitKat will want to set aside some time to download and install the new software. The entire process can sometimes take upwards of 30 minutes to complete.

That’s not all. The AT&T Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update is now here as well. Samsung revealed AT&T’s plans on its website and it looks like the update is going to be similar to the previous Android 4.4.2 KitKat updates for the Galaxy S3.

Here is the extensive change log for the AT&T Galaxy S3 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update:

• Android OS Version upgraded to 4.4.2
• 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
• AT&T Drive Mode is changed to DriveMode
• “Beat Music” Pre-loaded
• Video player closed captioning Settings > My device > Accessibility > Google subtitles (CC) and Samsung subtitles (CC)
• Unified Location Menu: Settings > More > Location Location Settings is same as Location service in JBP. User can set the Locating method and check the recent location requests
• Expanded Emoji Icons
• Wireless Printing is added. You can add printing support to your apps or develop print services to support specific types of printers. Apps > Settings > Connections > More networks > Printing
• Prevention Information pop-up message is suppressed.
• Copy & paste improvements
• Email allows inline editing
• Phone/Dialer user interface enhancements
• Settings changes
• Bluetooth enhancements
• Immersive mode addition
• Keyboard enhancements
• HCE (Host card emulation) Enabled
• UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card ) is set as default
• GMS apps update (GMS 4.4.2_r2).

This is the start of what could be a massive push for Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 users. There are still plenty of Android 4.4.2 KitKat updates remaining though several carriers have pointed to an arrival in June or July. Most recently, it was Australian carrier Vodafone that detailed a Galaxy Note 2 KitKat roll out, saying that it hopes to push the update out in late June. It also confirmed a Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update but it’s not clear when it plans to roll out it out.

In the U.S., T-Mobile has yet to push the update to its Galaxy Note 2 variant. The Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update is far more scarce with Sprint being the only major carrier offering it to users.

U.S. carriers typically don’t announce release dates ahead of time which means that Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 users still waiting on Android 4.4 KitKat to arrive may not find out about the update until the day that it arrives.

The future for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 remains uncertain. While the Android 4.4.2 KitKat should roll out to all versions of the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 LTE, anything beyond that is a mystery.

Google recommends 18 months of software support while Samsung typically adheres to 24 months. The Galaxy S3 is now two years old and the Galaxy Note 2 turns two later this year which means that both devices currently sit in a grey area. Samsung hasn’t confirmed any plans for the future and it likely won’t until after the release of another major Android update from Google.

Rumors point to an arrival of Android 4.5 or Android 5.0 but it’s still not clear when the company might release its next Android update to the public