The Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates have been confirmed though they are still without official release dates. However, if new information is correct, Samsung is planning to roll out the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates in April or May.
Weeks ago, Samsung USA confirmed the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates for arrival. Shortly after it confirmed the updates, Samsung Poland announced that it would
be issuing the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 LTE Android 4.4 KitKat updates in the future. It, like Samsung USA, did not confirm any specific dates.
In the weeks since those announcements, we’ve seen a number of carriers confirmed Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat updates. Australian carrier Optus originally targeted a roll out sometime in April though its target release has since been pushed back and it currently lists the update without a target date.
So far, Optus is the only carrier to have issued any kind of timing for the software though we do expect to hear more about both updates in the near future, especially if new information is accurate.
New Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update release details have surfaced today thanks to information from Korean publication Daum. The information comes from a supposed chat with a Korean Samsung customer service representative who evidently detailed some very specific release date information for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.
Customer service reps often pass along inaccurate information but this information lines up with everything that we’ve heard and seen about the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat updates so it certainly worth pointing out.
According to rep, the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update will land in Korea in mid-April. This lines up with what Optus originally said about the update and it could explain why carriers like Vodafone Australia and French carrier SFR plan to push out these updates in the near future. SFR says that it will have the update out by the end of May.
The rep also says that Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update, which has been a bit of a flashpoint in recent weeks, should land in Korea in late April or early May. Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update release date rumors pointed to a release in April or May so this timing makes sense, even if it’s still unconfirmed.
Korea is typically on the front lines for major Android updates so it could be that these two time frames represent the start of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.4 KitKat update roll outs.
Since then, we haven’t seen any other U.S. carriers confirm the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update and the update remains MIA in the updated plans of foreign carriers. Even SFR, a carrier that released the schedule all the way into May, left the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update off of its plans.
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 is in a much better position. Carriers have already confirmed its arrival and it’s slated to enter testing in the near future. From the look of things, there is a very good chance that it will roll out before the Galaxy S3 Android 4.4 KitKat update, just like this customer service representative suggests. The Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update also rolled out before the Galaxy S4′s.
Both updates are expected to be incremental updates and deliver Android 4.4 KitKat features rather than huge changes to TouchWiz. The Galaxy S5 recently arrived with an updated version of Samsung’s software though it’s still not clear when, or if, the Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note 2 will receive the new functionality.
Historically, Samsung has bestowed new TouchWiz software features upon its older users but given the age of both the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note 2, nothing is certain at this point. Samsung could opt to kill support for the Galaxy S3, a device that is closing in on its second birthday. The Galaxy Note 2 however is much younger and thus, has a better chance of getting new features or another update from Google.
Rumors suggest that Google will announce an Android 4.5 update later on this year, possibly in July alongside a brand new Nexus 8 tablet to replace the Nexus 7 2013. It’s still not clear what the brand new update will have on board. It’s also not clear if it will be a KitKat update or something far more substantial.
