Of all the devices that Samsung makes, it has a few devices that receive support and updates consistently. The flagship Galaxy S devices, such as the Galaxy S III and S4, as well as the Note 2 and Note 3, are set to receive major updates to Android 4.4 KitKat in the next month or two depending on the model according to an insider at Samsung. This is great news as both the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2 had just received their Android 4.3 Jelly Bean updates in November of last year, making this a record update schedule for the South Korean smartphone manufacturer. In the past we’ve seen only one or two major updates for any of Samsung’s flagship devices, and thankfully that looks like it’s already begun changing with their 2012 flagship phones, which have thus received at least 2 or 3 major updates and are moving on with their next one. As with any update the international phones generally get updated before the US models because they don’t have the carriers to deal with. Right now the schedule is “late Q1 2014, soon after the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 roll out” according to the insider.
What all is included in the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the S III and Note 2? Pretty standard KitKat type things like improved caller ID with Google lookup for unknown numbers, wireless printing options built into the OS, emoji is now a system-wide feature, Bluetooth Message Access Profile which gives message exchange permission to Bluetooth connected devices, and improvements to multi-tasking by reducing the overall footprint of the OS. Visual changes include a transparent notification bar up top no matter what wallpaper you choose, and the new immersive mode. Unfortunately much like the Android 4.3 updates for the Galaxy S III and Note 2, there aren’t any visual improvements as are found on newer devices like the Note 3 or Galaxy S4. What’s more there doesn’t seem to be any major changes to TouchWiz as we’ve seen from a number of leaks for the upcoming Galaxy S5, including a completely reworked interface and color scheme, and a new Google Now-type feed app. We’ll see when the official update actually lands, but judging on the official Android 4.4.2 update for the Galaxy S4 and Note 3 what you see is what you get. There’s also likely no ART support in either of these Android 4.4.2 updates as well unfortunately, which means Google’s fancy new way of making your phone just a little bit faster in some tasks won’t be on your favorite Samsung device any time soon.
Source: Android Geeks
Via: GSM Insider