Android
Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 Update Breakdown
Over the past week, we’ve seen a ton of action from the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung Galaxy S4, and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates. Samsung is starting to make significant inroads with its Android 4.4 KitKat push and with details swirling, we want to take a look at how the situation looks for owners of these four smartphones.
Believe it or not, Android 4.4 KitKat was announced all the way back in September, just before Apple took the stage and announced the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c and right around the time that Samsung debuted the Galaxy Note 3. At the time, the company was mum about specifics but it was clear that Android 4.4 KitKat would not be a massive overhaul to Android.
Instead, as Android owners soon found out, Android 4.4 KitKat was an incremental update aimed at offering small improvements to the look, feel and performance of the popular operating system. Even with its small stature, Android 4.4 KitKat was the talk of the town and Android users began to wonder when they might get the update.
The answers came swiftly for some users but owners of Samsung’s top Galaxy-branded devices were made to wait, and wait, and wait until finally, in January, Samsung started rolling out the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update.
Weeks later, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update roll out began. And now, more than seven months after Android 4.4 KitKat was first announced the Android 4.4 KitKat update is rolling out for the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3, two of Samsung’s former flagships and two devices that are still in the hands of many users.
These past two weeks in particular have been busy for the Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates so we want to get you caught up on all of the latest details regarding these four roll outs.
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat roll out has been a long, drawn out process that still isn’t even close to being over. While the update has landed for a number of big name variants including four of the five models in the United States, it’s still missing for a great number of Galaxy Note 3 users.
We’ve already seen several Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates roll out in the first couple of days of May. The Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 Android 4.4 KitKat update, for instance, recently landed for users on Orange in France, for users on Meteor in Ireland, for users on Optimus in Portugal, and for Galaxy Note 3 owners in Brazil. Galaxy Note 3 users on those carriers should be able to pull down the update Over-the-Air or install the software through Samsung Kies.
Despite Samsung’s best efforts, the roll out is moving slowly and it looks like some Galaxy Note 3 owners will be waiting until the middle of the year to get their upgrades.
Australian carriers have been updating their Galaxy Note 3 users on a regular basis. Vodafone believes that it will get the update out in May though it says that it hasn’t received the update in for testing. While nothing is set in stone, this could have the potential to push the update into June. Fellow Australian carrier Optus believes that it will get its Galaxy Note 3 update out in June. Mid-to-late June to be exact.
Telstra, another Australian carrier, recently released its updated schedule and the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update still hasn’t made an appearance. In other words, we should see an extremely long wait.
Keep in mind, there are other carriers that have yet to roll out Android 4.4 KitKat for the Galaxy Note 3. They just don’t keep their customers informed.
There is also a Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update that is still missing in the United States. The Verizon Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update still hasn’t been released and there is no telling when Verizon will get it pushed out. It still hasn’t even confirmed the update for arrival. Verizon usually doesn’t confirm releases ahead of time which means that Galaxy Note 3 users likely won’t get any official details ahead of time.
With the Verizon Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 update now out, we think that the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update could be close. We’ve seen Verizon roll out Galaxy Note and Galaxy S Android updates close to each other before and so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the update land in May.
Samsung Galaxy S4
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update has been rolling out since February but like the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update, it’s still not close to completion. Like the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update though, we’ve seen a number of Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 updates roll out in the month of May.
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update recently rolled out to users in Uruguay, international users in South East Europe and Panama. As for select carriers, the update has pushed for Movistar in Argentina and La Fleur in Luxembourg. We also recently saw it start pushing for the Verizon Galaxy S4.
The month is young and we expect a number of other Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat updates to roll out before its over.
Telstra Australia still isn’t talking about its Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update but Vodafone and Optus are. Vodafone says that both of its Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 updates will push in May. Again, the carrier hasn’t received the update from Samsung which means that a delay into the month of June is possible.
Optus claims that it will have two Galaxy S4 updates ready in June, one in early-t0-mid June and another in mid-to-late June. It does not specific any release dates.
In the United States, we’re still waiting for MetroPCS and C Spire Wireless to push out their versions of the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update. Neither carrier has announced release dates and we’re not expecting them to confirm release dates ahead of time because simply put, they never do.
AT&T’s Galaxy S4 Active Android 4.4 KitKat update appears to still be in limbo as Samsung works to enhance it. The update was put on hold last month for unknown reasons and AT&T’s website still lists it as being temporarily unavailable. We aren’t armed with any inside intel but we’d be surprised if the delay lasted through May.
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Last week, Samsung started pushing out the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update. The update landed for GT-N7100 owners in France and on Friday, the update landed for GT-N7100 owners in India. The second roll out is a good sign and it means that the update should start landing for other carriers soon.
Remember, Samsung’s international roll outs are extremely random and unpredictable. The company never releases release date information ahead of time which means that owners of unbranded versions of the Galaxy Note 2 are going to simply have to remain patient as Samsung’s engineers work to get the software ready.
The company’s deployments can last for months, the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates are prime examples of that and that means that Galaxy Note 2 users should prepare for a long drawn out process.
While Samsung remains silent, we do have some leads on Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates. French carrier SFR says that it plans to push the update out this month, specific date unknown. Specific dates are almost never mentioned because the testing process is unpredictable.
Vodafone Australia says that it plans to get its Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update out in May but it has not received the update from Samsung for testing. That could mean a delay. Optus is more realistic when it says that it plans to deploy the update in June. Specifically, it says early-to-mid June.
At this point, we’re expecting the bulk of the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat push to happen in the later stages of May and in June. It usually takes a few weeks before we see updates roll out to carrier-branded devices rapid fire.
In the United States, Sprint remains the only carrier to confirm an Android 4.4 KitKat update though we expect other carriers to follow suit. The U.S. is typically only a few weeks behind the curve so we wouldn’t be surprised if Sprint and perhaps U.S. Cellular pushed the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update out in May.
Samsung Galaxy S3
Finally, lets take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update. A short time ago, Sprint became the first carrier to offer the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update. It was, of course, the first carrier in the United States to confirm the update for arrival. Galaxy S3 owners on Sprint would be wise to check their settings to see if the update is available.
Other than Sprint’s roll out, it’s a ghost town. We literally have not seen any other carriers confirm the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update for arrival. The carriers we’ve mentioned have confirmed updates through the month of June and the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat is absent from their schedules.
This doesn’t mean that the update isn’t coming but as we’ve advised, it does mean that Galaxy S3 owners in places outside of the United States could be in for a long wait.
There are some that believe that the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update may never roll out for some variants. Earlier this year, Samsung Poland announced that it would not be offering a Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update to the 1GB model.
Others believe that the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update will roll out across devices, even those with the GT-i9300, but for the moment, Samsung’s plans remain unknown.
Veronica
05/03/2014 at 11:34 am
I just got the notification for the 4.4 update today on my Galaxy S3…
saturn
05/03/2014 at 11:41 am
Model GT-I9300??
Khalil Barbur
05/03/2014 at 1:13 pm
Just did some research. Sprint 4.4 update is up and running OTA
rn
05/03/2014 at 1:48 pm
Not looking good….instantly noticed that scrolling from home screen to home screen is now choppy, so is my TurboFly game which is usually smooth as silk, and YouTube videos aren’t loading even while connected to my home Wi-Fi. Samsung what did you do now?
Mike
05/04/2014 at 7:04 am
Coincidence is not correlation. Correlation does not demonstrate cause. Hilarious you’d think Samsung would concern itself with your marginal game’s anecdotal operation.
kyle
05/03/2014 at 2:40 pm
Where are you located im In arizona no update yet
keith soifer
05/03/2014 at 4:06 pm
What carrier?
S41510
05/03/2014 at 6:18 pm
What about SPH-L710? WILL THEY BE GETTING THE UPDATE FROM 4.3 TO 4.4?
j
05/04/2014 at 2:23 pm
Sph-l710 is the Sprint variant of the S3. If you’d have read the article, you’d see it’s rolling out >_<
Mike
05/04/2014 at 7:00 am
My Verizon Samsung S4 SCH-I545 is now updated to 4.4.2
rn
05/03/2014 at 2:16 pm
…well the YouTube videos stated loading. But the screen scroll and game are still lagging in smoothness.
pingo
05/03/2014 at 6:45 pm
Gt i9300??? Hijos de puta
edy3
05/04/2014 at 8:55 pm
I have the Galaxy S4 phone and after the software update on May 3rd, the the messaging notification sound went mute, the Navigation system didn’t work…just some issues I noticed immediately. Wonder what else that I’m not even aware of. :(
Gary
05/06/2014 at 10:17 am
Still waiting for the update on Sprint.
penny
05/07/2014 at 6:11 pm
My verizon galaxy s4 was updated 5/3.. since then everything has been choppy in terms of transition. Also i noticed that my fb has crashed so many times and it never happened before.