Connect with us

Android

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Release Breakdown (April)

Published

on

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update has been pushing out since late January. 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 in the rearview mirror, we want to take a look at everything we think you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release as we march into the month of April.

After Samsung rolled out the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update in December, there was an expectation that Samsung’s next Android 5.0 Lollipop update would land for its other flagship, the Galaxy Note 4. As we now know, that didn’t happen. Instead, the company moved to the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4, two aging former flagships that were released in 2013.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update started rolling out in late January. The update represents the Galaxy Note 3’s second major Android release and as such, it brings a ton of new features, enhancements and fixes along with it. Since January, 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 former flagship.

LG G3 vs Galaxy Note 3 - 4

March was a busy month for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release and Samsung should remain busy as we push into the month of April. Samsung and its carrier partners remain mum on many upcoming upgrades but that doesn’t mean that we don’t have any information.

In fact, we have a ton of information about the current state of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 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 3 Lollipop update plans.

Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Release Making Progress, Slowly

While it may not seem like it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update has been making steady progress since January. It’s still moving extremely slow but we saw a number of roll outs take place in March and we should see Samsung make even more progress as we push further and further into the month of April.

Samsung’s most recent push took place in Canada. Canadian carriers Bell, SaskTel, and Virgin Mobile have all rolled out their own versions of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. The update, from what we’ve seen, is a massive 944MB which means that it could take some time to download over a slow Wi-Fi connection. Canadian Galaxy Note 3 users, like all Galaxy Note 3 users, should set aside some time for the installation process to complete.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy Note 3 - Water Resistant

 

 

The update has also recently pushed out to users in Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Italy, and Austria. And while you might not live in one of those countries, you should appreciate the fact that the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop roll out is still moving. As a reminder, Samsung’s roll outs 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 3 is available on tons of carriers in tons of regions around the world. This is an update that is going to take a ton of time to complete. We’re probably still several months away at least from the end of the Galaxy Note 3 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 some pickup take place in April and May as we get further and further away from the January start date.

US Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Update Update

In the United States, we’ve only seen two carriers deploy the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update. T-Mobile was the first and AT&T rolled its Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update out during the tail end of March. AT&T’s roll out should be finishing up in the near future and those with the AT&T model will want to keep a close eye on the device in the days ahead. AT&T’s roll outs typically don’t take more than a couple of weeks to complete.

This means that there are three Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates remaining in the United States. Of the three (Verizon, U.S. Cellular, T-Mobile), only Sprint’s Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update is confirmed.

Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Galaxy Note 3 -  Cameras

While Sprint hasn’t rolled out its Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update, we know that it has the software in for testing because the update appears on the carrier’s website. Of course, the update has been listed on the website for quite awhile now so there is no telling when the Now Network might deploy its software. Sprint customer service reps have said May or June though nothing is confirmed.

US carriers typically don’t announce release dates ahead of time so owners of these three models will likely be waiting in the dark until the update starts rolling out.

Most Carriers Remain Silent

Since January, we’ve seen a number of Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates roll out but we haven’t seen many upcoming Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates confirmed. It’s a bit strange given that we typically see some carriers confirm weeks and sometimes months in advance.

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. We’re not sure at this point but it’s safe to say that their Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates are likely still a ways off.

Even French carrier SFR, a carrier well known for announcing Android updates months in advance, has yet to sign off on a Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release. It’s a clear sign that this roll out process is not going to happen overnight and many Galaxy Note 3 users will be on Android 4.4 KitKat through the month of April.

Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Problems

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop problems continue to be problematic for many Galaxy Note 3 users and we’re even starting to see some AT&T users run into Galaxy Note 3 issues.

New HTC One M8 vs - Note3 18-X3

AT&T Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop users are complaining about bad reception, abnormal battery drain, Wi-Fi issues, SMS problems, random freezing, installation issues, problems with the device’s S-Pen stylus, screen capture issues with the S Pen, and more. It’s clear that there are issues plaguing this update, just like there are issues plaguing the other Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates that we’ve seen. That said, for now, the issues on AT&T appear to be isolated to a few users.

This is precisely why you need to be extremely careful when your Galaxy Note 3 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 3 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 of all, if Samsung is planning to release Android 5.1 Lollipop updates for its Galaxy smartphones, 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.

Now, this doesn’t mean that Samsung won’t use Android 5.1 to roll out fixes and Galaxy S6 TouchWiz features. It just means that nothing is coming to the Galaxy Note 3 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.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. christopher collins

    04/02/2015 at 3:41 am

    theres 5 minutes of my life ill never get back. thanks a lot for NO NEWS

  2. Foxingham

    04/02/2015 at 11:14 pm

    It deleted over half my contact list and their details. DO NOT believe the message at the download that tells you they will not delete anything from your device.

    It also combined apps “for a better user experience”. Crap talk for no one wants this app, we’ll combine it with one they use and the designers won’t look so much like loosers, because someone will try and use it.

  3. Saprava Bhattacharya

    04/03/2015 at 3:16 pm

    I have Note 3 with Android version 4.4.2 which has worst Battery life. Please help.

  4. R Petrakovitz

    04/30/2015 at 5:50 pm

    what a mistake. I did the 5.0 update on my AT&T Note 3 and have regretted it from day one. The phone randomly freezes, constantly turns the wifi off, has sync issues with my email accounts and charges slower than before. I would remove the update if I knew how. I used to love my Note 3 and now I am ready to smash it into a wall. Don’t, I repeat, DON’T install 5.0

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.