• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

4.4.3, or 4.4.4 update. When?

Nagrom

Android Expert
May 28, 2010
806
75
Cheshire UK
Hi gang.

I'm with Vodafone UK, and for months I've been reading that we're SUPPOSED to be getting an update from 4.4.2. Last date I heard was sometime in September.

I know I can root, and are planning to soon, but does anyone know if we're EVER going to get an official update?

Thanks in advance.
Andy
 
Vodafone have just released an update to their 4.4.2 which brings "download booster" first seen on the Galaxy S5, a few new transitions, quicker boot time and supposedly better battery life. I got the option to upgrade last weekend, OTA, but since I am rooted and run a custom recovery It failed the OTA and I had to flash it yesterday via Odin. I had to reroot, reinstall Busy Box and flash my custom recovery again but all other phone settings, layouts etc were unaffected. So it took ten minutes to do from start to finish rather than an hour or so.

I know we'll get Lollipop (V5.0) for our SM-N9005s but I suspect Samsung will skip 4.4.4 on them. I know 4.4.4 is available for some Exynos Note 3s I just don't see the international version getting it. I doubt we'll find out one way or another unless we get it either, Samsung always keep firmware details to themselves.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Duckster and Nagrom
Upvote 0
Let me know when you plan on doing it all again Nagrom and I'll see if I can help "live" as it were. Not this week though for me as I'm on call next week. I shall be in and out via phone here as usual, but booting up the old lap top to redo my Note 3 from scratch with my Note 3 in exactly the same state as yours to try and figure it all out is not really an option. I'm still curious why yours won't root. It should. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nagrom
Upvote 0
4.4.4 didn't fix the lack of Tap & Pay for AT&T Customers so I doubt it will for anyone else here. Therefore, I'm getting rid of this phone in a week most likely.

I think I'm going to get the Xperia Z3v.

Just curious are you blaming AT&T or the Note 3 ? I can understand the upgrade to a newer device, I'm presuming you'll use a different carrier ?
 
Upvote 0
Just curious are you blaming AT&T or the Note 3 ? I can understand the upgrade to a newer device, I'm presuming you'll use a different carrier ?
It's a Note 3/Samsung Issue. They used an NFC Chipset that didn't support HCE until 4.4.4 and they didn't put it in the 4.4.4 update they sent out to AT&T users. It's not an AT&T issue, because all those ISIS/Softcard carriers have and are launching devices that work fine with HCE. It's unreasonable to that they're blocking this on the Note 3 when they have S4/5, Note 4, M7/8, G2/3, Droids/Moto X/X2, etc. etc. on their networks with HCE working flawlessly.

I'm not switching carriers for that, because it's not a carrier issue. It's a Samsung issue.

I'll be switching manufacturers for sure, though. It's pretty poor support on their part. It's time to move on from them.
 
Upvote 0
How odd, I know "contact less payment" as it is called works here on a UK note 3 even with 4.4.2 I think I used it exactly twice. Sadly no "wallet app" will work now I'm rooted, and I'm not going to unroot just to get it, I might hunt for a workaround, more and more retailers are accepting it over here.

Thumbs down to Samsung on that one.
 
Upvote 0
Its not available to everyone right now not even for me right now seems they making is available in certain areas first.. the update is on sammoblie for people who wants to flash with odin...
It's a small update and it doesn't add Google Wallet/HCE Compatibility. So... I don't even care about it, to be frank. I'll be rid of this phone on Monday.
 
Upvote 0

BEST TECH IN 2023

We've been tracking upcoming products and ranking the best tech since 2007. Thanks for trusting our opinion: we get rewarded through affiliate links that earn us a commission and we invite you to learn more about us.

Smartphones