Samsung Galaxy S3 U.S. variant is upgradable to Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware. However, some users have reported several issues including slow performance, Bluetooth problems, battery drain and more. Here is the list of issues and possible workarounds to resolve them.

Android 4.4.2 Issues on Galaxy S3

Android Origin listed the issues reported about Galaxy S3 which has been upgraded to Android 4.4.2 KitKat.

1. Poor Battery Performance
Playing games reduce the battery life significantly but one user reported that the smartphone has a shorter battery lifespan regardless the amount of load on the processor from gaming apps.

2. Charging Issue
It is related to the same report on poor battery performance in which the device suffers from slow charging time unlike with the previous firmware version. Battery level during recharging time drops instead of getting slowly higher when being used.

3. Inaccurate Battery Level
During a recharge, the device won't refresh its own battery monitoring tool after tapping the "refresh" icon.

4. Audio Levels
The volume level drops from whatever has been set to level three after an approximate two minutes of the music track.

5. Music Player Pause
If the music track has been paused and the screen times out, the track goes back at the beginning upon resuming it after waking the lock screen.

Apart from the problems mentioned above, Android Pit also received complaints regarding the Android 4.4.2 KitKat on Galaxy S3.

6. Random Reboot
Annoying random reboot which may occur on any device that has been upgraded to a major OS version.

7. Wi-Fi Connection Drop
A very common issue on most smartphones wherein Wi-Fi drops at certain times. Firmware updates may cause the issue on Wi-Fi settings including mobile data APN information.

8. SD Card Restrictions
Android KitKat has some restrictions to SD card such as transferring apps to the external storage. Most devices running the OS version are not allowed to transfer apps automatically or manually to the microSD card.

9. Wake Up Lag
Effects on the lock screen can cause the wake up lag issue.

Possible Workarounds

Unfortunately, the first part regarding the poor battery performance, slow recharging, audio volume levels and inaccurate battery information have no definite solutions. Samsung holds the patches required for these problems and it is unknown yet if the company has plans to release a new firmware version.

The second part has the following possible workarounds:

1. For the battery drain, turn off the smartphone > remove the battery unit for 30 seconds > check which app drains the power > reinstall or uninstall the app > recalibrate the battery using Battery Calibration app from the Play Store > perform a factory reset as a final option.

2. For the random reboot, a factory reset usually resolves the issue to fix any system conflict. Make sure to create a backup of every data and files stored on the device before resetting the smartphone.

3. For the Wi-Fi connection drop, reinstall or re-enter the APN settings of 4G and 3G data connection. Flashing the radio/modem details may also fix the issue. Contact the network provider of the device.

4. For the SD card limitation, a root access is required to use an app which allows Android KitKat to transfer selected applications to the microSD card.