Not that there were any big surprises, but it was nice to see Samsung finally release an official list what devices would be receiving the Android 4.4.2 KitKat upgrade, although there is no exact dates or even months for the individual devices. It was as if Samsung read our article on grading the manufacturers on their KitKat upgrades and did not like the D+ they received, so they threw out at list of devices to bump them up to a C. I say this because as nice as the list is, so is it vague – “Availability varies by carrier and product, with updates beginning today and continuing throughout the coming months.” That is what we call “covering your ass” or “covering all bases” – nice, but does not really tell us anything.
If you want to “force” the check out on your device you can always manually go to:
Settings -> General -> scroll down to ‘About phone’ -> Software Update -> Check for updates
The Samsung Galaxy devices sold in the U.S. currently listed in the press release to receive the 4.4.2 KitKat upgrade are: Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S4, Galaxy S4 mini, Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy S4 zoom, Galaxy S3, Galaxy S3 mini, Galaxy Mega, Galaxy Light, Galaxy Note 8.0, Galaxy Tab 3, Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.
The 4.4.2 KitKat upgrade offers a number of features to enhance the user experience and ‘enriching the Galaxy experience’ according to Samsung and they list them as:
Number one is the Location Menu – An integrated location menu enables users to easily activate GPS, Wi-Fi and mobile networks, while simultaneously checking the battery usage of apps running location service capabilities.
It also includes Enhanced Messaging features – Enables users to choose between Messages or Hangouts as their preferred default messaging application, and select from a larger assortment of updated Emoji icons.
Included also are the Upgraded Google Mobile Serviceâ„¢ (GMS) apps – Users can automatically back up photos and video and can open, view, rename and share Google Docs and files.
Like I said earlier, all of this is nice of Samsung to finally show us the devices they intend to update – and we all realize that some of the delay are the carriers’ fault – but a company that brags about being number one in Android sales should provide the quickest updates possible to the many Samsung customers that have helped make them the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
Please let us know on our Google+ Page if and when you get your Android 4.4.2 KitKat upgrade from Samsung and what the differences were that you noticed.