Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE receives the latest Android 4.4 Kitkat OS via custom ROM made by OmniROM developers.

According to the developers, the custom ROM is far more stable than the 4.3 Jelly Bean OS update. The Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 or the international model can only be used in this custom ROM. It is of vital importance to backup of all your personal information, settings and data files stored on the Galaxy S3. It is best to back up the device manually and not use the Samsung Kies PC suite. Make sure that the device has at least 50 per cent battery to avoid power interruption during flashing.

First, one has to root his or her smartphone and install the ClockworkMod Touch 6.0.32 or later. Enable USB debugging mode on your smartphone by going to the Settings > Applications > Development > USB 'debugging' or 'Settings' > Developer Options > USB 'debugging.' Then, install all necessary USB drivers on your computer for the Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300. Then, download the OmniROM 4.4 and PA Gapps to your computer.

Below is the step-by-step procedure of updating your Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE to Android 4.4 Kitkat OS.

Step 1 - Connect your Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 to the computer using a USB cable.

Step 2 - Copy the OmniROM 4.4 and PA Gapps then paste it on the SD card of your Galaxy S3. Do not extract the zip files.

Step 3 - Disconnect the smartphone then switch it off.

Step 4 - Reboot into recovery mode by pressing and holding 'volume up + home + power' keys at the same time until the Samsung logo appears.

Step 5 - You may use touch controls or hard keys to navigate inside the recovery mode. Perform an Android backup of the current ROM used by Galaxy S3. Select 'backup and restore > backup' to save the ROM. You may restore it anytime you wish.

Step 6 - Install the firmware and Google apps by selecting 'install zip from SD card > choose zip from SD card > look for the OmniROM 4.4 you have pasted earlier > confirm installation.' Apply the same method with the PA Gapps.

Step 7 - After the installation, go back to the main menu then select 'wipe data/factory reset.'

Step 8 - Reboot your device by selecting 'reboot system now.' Wait up to five minutes for your Galaxy S3 to reach the home screen.

In case the device goes on boot loop, reboot into recovery mode just follow the steps below:

  • 'wipe data/factory reset'
  • 'wipe cache partition'
  • 'advanced > wipe Dalvik cache'
  • 'install zip from SD card
  • 'reboot system now'

Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE recently received the 4.3 Jelly Bean update although other Android devices are upgrading to the Android 4.4 Kitkat OS. The roll out of the update was temporarily halted as users complain to issues and problems.

For those users who do not want to root their smartphones and use a custom ROM may use the 4.3 Jelly Bean OTA update. However, the update is being rolled out in phases and may not be available in some countries at the moment.