While the Google Play Edition Samsung Galaxy S 4 has already gotten its update to Android 4.4, the carrier versions of the device, along with the Galaxy Note 3 have yet to dip their toes into Kit Kat waters. That may change next month though, because according to French Carrier SFR, Samsung will begin pushing out updates of Android 4.4 to both the Samsung Galaxy S 4 and the Galaxy Note 3 starting near the end of next month. If this is true, Samsung users who are on either of those two phones might be in for a belated Christmas gift.
The updates are rumored to begin around the end of January for the Samsung Galaxy S 4, and early February for the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. With these time slots, its possible both devices will be finished updating towards the end of February, leaving Samsung to move onto updating other devices. The precise times for the OTA updates are said to be announced later on, which could mean in the following days or it could mean that we wont hear about them until weeks later, closer to the time frame that the updates are to be expected.
The update to kit kat brings plenty of nice new things(no matter how minor they may seem), including ART runtime, and potential for a possible screen mirroring feature to Chromecast in the future. Whatever it is you’re looking forward to, it’s important to remember that these are just rumors and even if the dates and statement about the updates are true, this is also most likely only in regards to SFR itself. Since US regulations are different, carriers here might not start sending out updates to customers devices until sometime after they have began elsewhere. We’re looking at you Verizon. Either way, Android 4.4 Kit Kat can’t be too far off, so you shouldn’t give up hope just yet that you’ll have it soon. Maybe Samsung and the carriers will make a New Years resolution to have Kit Kat out to all users on those two devices before march, regardless of location or service.