Help Verizon - Should I KitKat?

Crosley123 · Jun 18, 2014

Been holding off applying the KitKat upgrade. But now it pops up at least every 2 hours. Question for all. Worth the upgrade or goodness gracious avoid it?

Thanks.

Methos1979 · Jun 18, 2014

Back up all your photos/videos, etc to your external SD or computer before you do. I did it and my phone basically bricked and I needed to do a full FDR and start from scratch, so I lost a lot of photos and videos. Nothing too awful but a few things I wish I'd backed up.

Once I got back up and running I was happy with the improved performance. It was not much and it might have been at least in part because it forced me to get rid of some clutter and unused apps, but it's definitely snappier and all things considered it was worth it.

I wouldn't want to live with dealing with the alert every two hours so you might just as well do it.

RickSchlegel · Jun 19, 2014

My phone is stock, and it was a non-issue for me. Performance is a little faster (but I agree it may be because the update got rid of a lot of junk), and I've even gotten used to the new white battery icon. I backed up nothing before installing the update, and had no issues. Changeover to the visual voice mail was a bigger deal.

Digital Controller · Jun 19, 2014

Honestly, the update is pretty decent. There are some design changes by TouchWiz and I don't think you're going to see any downside to updating to 4.4.2.

Root options are still available too, if you go down that road, so you aren't completely at a loss

jeja7676 · Jun 19, 2014

I updated to kitkat on galaxy s4. it shortened the battery life significantly. Others than than I don't see any differences. Basically, I wish I didn't do that. So I gave the phone to my wife, and bought S5 which already comes with 4.4.2

To tell you the truth I bought s5 just because I couldn't find note 3 that day (in black color). I wouldn't update it to 4.4.2. But 4.4.3 is soon to be released. I would wait for that one, and see what others say about it. 4.4.2 was a crappy update for all samsung phones.

Duckster · Jun 19, 2014

I have had absolutely no problems with KitKat. It was skeptical as well, but after a while, I started to love this new OS. Get it!

Crosley123 · Jun 19, 2014

Any timeline for Verizon 4.4.3? And thanks all!

lterry913 · Jun 19, 2014

Back up music, photos and anything you don't want to lose...let kit kat insatall...then do a factory data reset before inserting sd card. I think the battery issues are mainly due to apps that have not been updated to work with kit kat to keep running. I would install only the apps that have been recently updated. My music player wouldn't find my music after the update as I store all of it on external sd. I installed one that someone recommended fro the forum and now everything is great.

Good luck and even tho I did everything suggested above I have still noticed a decrease in battery life.

If your phone reinstalls all your purchased and free apps automatically I would delete them and reinstall them...I did this and it helped battery a little...I also did not install game apps etc and will only reinstall when I chose to play them again. As I said as some apps lose popularity they don't get updated as often or at all therefore causing them to hang up the system trying to work.

Digital Controller · Jun 19, 2014

Crosley123 said:
Any timeline for Verizon 4.4.3? And thanks all!

Let's be honest, it took them forever to push out KitKat...

I wouldn't be surprised if they just didn't even push it out and waited for a bigger update, can't say this is true though.

johnnieeve · Jun 20, 2014

Downloaded KitKat with no issues other than going online my screen darkens when connected to the internet. Not a good thing. In daylight it's so dark I can't use it. Indoors almost as bad.
Am I missing a new Kitkat setting? For 2 years my N2 has been perfect!

nickdalzell · Jun 20, 2014

Although mine came with KitKat out of the box, if i am not mistaken, it will, after two weeks of declining the update, will install anyway, in similar vain to how iOS 7 finally forced itself onto my iPhone 4 and made me hate it (i hate flat design!).

Although other than all-white status bar icons (really, Google?) it changes **nothing**. none of the things that make KitKat what it is (ART, Immersive Mode, etc) are there. other than status bar icons lacking color, it's still Jelly Bean, but with a different version number. was the update necessary? nope. should it be forced by Verizon? without choice? hell no!. Verizon has the app 'SDM.apk doing the OTA updates, so you cannot set it to not check like on other carriers. it forces the update on you eventually no matter what. after two weeks the 'install later' button will grey out and it will only let you install it.

Now, on the Note 10.1 2014, you get some of the S5's new Touchwiz. on the Note 3, you get the S3 UI, lose the light effect lock screen, the polish returns to the icons and system app UX, sorta turning backwards but i'm always in for more polish, although i did like the light effect over the S3's ripple.

As for all the doom and gloom regarding SD Cards, it seems Samsung has overcome it, as i have zero issues accessing, deleting or changing anything on my 8GB MicroSD card.

Help Verizon - Should I KitKat?

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