Samsung Electronics finally announced that the international version of Samsung Galaxy S3 i9300 and Galaxy S3 Mini will no longer receive the Android 4.4.2 Kitkat update.
To the disappointment of some Samsung Galaxy S3 users, the international version of the said handset will stop receiving Android OS updates, according to Samsung-centric website SamMobile. The company did not detail the reason why Galaxy S3 will no longer get the update.
However, previous reports mentioned some possible reasons why the Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 will not receive a Kitkat update. First, the handset was released two years ago, which qualify the device on the 18-month rule on software support on each device. Google and most mobile manufacturers follow a certain rule that devices that are older than 18 months will no longer receive an OS update.
Moreover, Galaxy S3 also entailed hardware issues that it fell below the requirements needed for the update. Thus, the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 could be incompatible with Kitkat OS update as it has a lower virtual memory compared to Galaxy S4 and Note 2.
Users of the aforementioned version may still get the Kitkat update via custom ROM. However, users are advised to proceed with caution, especially in rooting your phone.
Meanwhile, the i9305 or carrier version of Samsung Galaxy S3 was currently being updated to the latest Kitkat OS. US carrier Sprint started rolling out the official Android 4.4 Kitkat OS upgrade to its Galaxy S3 handset. Other carriers have not revealed their plans for their respected devices although it was speculated that some will roll out their updates by the end of May.
According to Android Geeks, some of the improvements that will be seen on the handset are "transparent status bar, white status bar icons, full screen album art in the lock screen, immersive mode, cloud printing, new Location Menu, color emoji support, or better power management, along with updated Samsung native apps, improved Samsung Keyboard, lock screen camera shortcut, and bug fixes."
