Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 Update Rolling Out in January
The Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 update will begin rolling out in January.
Samsung has not announced plans to release the software yet but SFR France hinted at when it will hit both devices. The carrier posted a smartphone blog that said the update will be available for both the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 sometime between late January and early February.
The actual release dates for the updates were not written on the blog. This same carrier stated that the LG G2 will also receive it sometime next year. Other companies should be releasing more information once the 2014 begins. It should start rolling out around the same time for all of these carriers.
The Galaxy S4 Android 4.4.2 KitKat update is now available for the Google Play Edition. The HTC One and LG G Pad 8.3 started receiving the update earlier this week and now the Samsung device is following suit. It can be downloaded on the GT-I9505G model and should arrive via automatic notification. Those who do not get one could check for it manually.
Android 4.4.2 brings some fixes and improvements to the handset and also removes the App Ops security app. Users that have been using this unofficial tool to manage app permissions could continue to use Android 4.4.1 if they do not want to lose that ability.
The Google Play editions seem to be worth it as they are all far ahead of the regular versions with receiving software updates. It will probably be a few more months before the carrier models of the Galaxy S4 and HTC One get to Android 4.4.
Google introduced Android 4.4 KitKat last month alongside the Nexus 5 smartphone. The software is designed to be installed on a wide range of devices including older and low-end models that only have 512MB RAM.