The over the air (OTA) update of Android 4.4.2 KitKat was expected to roll out to the Sprint variant of the Samsung Galaxy S3 any day now after the South Korean giant released the Android 4.4.2 KitKat kernel source code for the device.

However, it's come earlier than expected after the firmware update appeared on Sprint's update support page.  

Until now, owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3 have had to use the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and they have been waiting a long time for the update to Android 4.4.2 KitKat after the offical L710VPMK3 build appeared last November.

But the end of the wait for Sprint owners had its first sign of being over after XDA Developers spotted an update to Samsung's Open Source Release Center page for the Sprint variant of the device to include the upcoming L710VPND8 update.  

XDA reports further that the update will bring KitKat and the Linux 3.4 kernel.  

SamMobile said there was normally a delay of around a week between the kernel source releasing and the update pushing out, meaning a release next week if Sprint users were lucky.  

And a note of caution had been sounded as there had been no sign of any test builds of the firmware.  

In addition to fixing bugs, it's expected the update will bring in the transparent status bar with white icons.  

It's also expected that the roll-out will be staggered so not all devices will get it at once.

You can check if it's available on your device by going to Settings > More > System Update > Update Samsung Software > Check Now.

But make sure you have a stable WiFi connection and good battery life before starting the update.  

XDA Developers has a link to a download for those devices that have not yet received the update.