Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N9005) Android 4.4 KitKat Update Arrives

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update arrives today ahead of the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update. The update which started rolling out in Poland replaces the Android 4.4.3 Jelly Bean that has been the OS of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 since it was launched in September.

Few weeks back, a rumour indicated that the Galaxy Note 3 will receive the Android 4.4 KitKat update in January but that was put in jeopardy a few days back when the presumed release dates from a carrier gone missing and rumours say the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update will not arrive until February or March. In the past, Galaxy S devices receive the updates first before the Galaxy Note devices but that trend is not true with the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 (SM-N9005) is receiving its Android 4.4 KitKat update in Poland now and it is evidently rolling out for the quad-core Snapdragon version of the smartphone. This update is similar to the leaked version for the Galaxy Note 3 over the weekend.

Although Samsung did not announce what is new about this update, leaks from SamMobile reveal the changes users can expect from this update. In the lockscreen is a new camera shortcut and the album art can be seen in the lockscreen when playing music. A better emoji support is also added with the keyboard and users can now choose between default messaging app and Hangouts. The update is mostly incremental and it is clearly not a major update like the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S2 users.

So far, there is no information about the release date of the Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4 KitKat update beyond Poland. U.S. carriers did not announce anything about it just yet, so it is impossible to tell the exact release date on AT&T, Verizon and U.S. Cellular.

Essentially, updates emerge a few weeks after the international update arrives. For the Galaxy S4, there is a good chance that the update will arrive in the next few weeks because the leaked firmware appears to be stable at this point.