The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update has been rolling out since late January. And although it has made solid progress, there are still a lot of devices and a lot of people on Android 4.4 KitKat. With details and swirling questions, we’d like to take a look at our prospects going forward from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update and its release.
When Google first announced Android 5.0 Lollipop at Google I/O 2014, it did not confirm a general release date for Android users. Ultimately, Android smartphone and tablet users had to wait until November for the company to finally approve Android 5.0 Lollipop. Shortly after Google’s initial upgrade, Samsung started rolling out the first Android 5.0 Lollipop update to the Samsung Galaxy S5.
Since then, Samsung has made significant progress with the Android 5.0 Lollipop distribution. The update has arrived for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Note 4. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update was released in late January and since then, we’ve seen it roll out to multiple models. two are here in the United States.
While Samsung has certainly stepped up its pace since February, there is still a lot of work to do and a lot of questions to answer. Many Samsung Galaxy Note 3 users are still sitting on Google’s legacy operating system, Android 4.4 KitKat.
Naturally, we keep getting tons of questions about the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update. Today, just a few days into March, we want to take a look at what we can expect from the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update and its rollout going forward. Our goal here is to help you set your expectations before the start of April, which could be an important month for many Galaxy Note 3 users around the world.
Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Coming Soon
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update continues to make progress days after its debut. And in typical Samsung fashion, the update made this progress without attracting much attention. Samsung has very quietly released the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update recently, and we don’t expect the company to do anything big going forward in the coming days. So those of you with an international model will want to follow the update prompt closely.
The Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release made some solid progress this week, and we expect the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update to make a lot of progress in April. It’s currently two months from the start of distribution, and we expect Samsung to finally kick things into high gear as we get further and further away from the initial launch.
A Long Way to Go
However, there is still a long way to go. This isn’t an update that will hit everyone overnight. While we expect tons of progress next month, by the end of April Samsung will still have a long way to go.
While there are many good examples, we will use Australian carriers. Optus, Vodafone and Telstra have not even confirmed their plans to bring an Android 5.0 Lollipop update to the Galaxy Note 3. They usually confirm a month or two in advance and all we’ve heard so far is silence. Other carriers like Rogers and French carrier SFR, two carriers that like to announce updates well in advance, are in the same boat.
We expect the release of this Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop to take months, maybe even a year. Samsung’s problems with Lollipop probably didn’t help the company’s purpose.
Verizon Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Edition
In the United States, we’ve seen two Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates released. While T-Mobile and AT&T are the only two carriers with Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates, the remaining Galaxy Note 3 carriers are almost certain to join them. We haven’t seen confirmation yet, but you can expect Verizon, US Cellular, and Sprint to release the update at some point this year.
US carriers make it extremely difficult to predict exact release dates, so we’ll say that. When T-Mobile and AT&T Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates are released and the update makes solid progress in March, we’d be surprised if the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release date is any time after May. We expect it to launch in April or May.
Don’t expect Verizon to release any specific details about the update or behind-the-scenes testing process. You should expect to know the Verizon Galaxy Note 3 version when Verizon releases the update.
Sprint Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Edition
Sprint has not officially confirmed the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update, but a User Agent Profile string on websiteWe know that the update has been tested before a public release.
To be honest, we were a little surprised that Sprint didn’t release the update. The carrier is known for being quick to major Android updates and was the first of the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update and the first of the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update.
Sprint customer service representatives are telling people that the update will be out in May or June, but we don’t expect it to take that long. AT&T and T-Mobile updates are not already live. We’re pretty sure we’re probably just days or weeks away from a release. We’d be shocked if it didn’t come out by the end of May.
Don’t expect Sprint to approve anything beforehand.
US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Edition
We expect something similar from the missing US Cellular Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update. We expect US Cellular to hold its release date back from the public, and we expect a release to be released in probably no more than two months. US Cellular has yet to release any Galaxy Android 5.0 Lollipop updates, but it will at some point. Users just need to be patient.
Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.1 Lollipop Update
We recently saw a partial leak of Samsung Galaxy Lollipop update roadmap. inbound roadmap SamMobilestated that Samsung has not yet started development on Android 5.1 Lollipop. Android 5.1 is the new Lollipop update from Google and it offers feature enhancements and a list of bug fixes for Android 5.0 Lollipop issues.
Although this is the case, a user reddit He outlined Samsung’s potential plans for the Galaxy Android 5.1 Lollipop update. User information excerpts Compiled from a Samsung representative in Europe. We are not familiar with the source, but it seems armed with reliable information about the Galaxy S6 Active and Android 5.1 Lollipop.
It says Samsung could use Android 5.1 Lollipop to deliver a TouchWiz experience similar to the one found on the Samsung Galaxy S6. Galaxy S6 comes with less bloatware and also users uninstall Samsung apps to free up space. Samsung is known for bringing new features to older devices, and Android 5.1 could be the update that brings some Galaxy S6 features to older devices like the Galaxy Note 3.
Android 5.1 or not, we expect Samsung to bring at least some of the Galaxy S6 experience to the Galaxy Note 3, a device that just took a year off. We see Samsung bringing new features to old devices all the time, and Galaxy Note 3, at this age, is a candidate to get new TouchWiz features.
Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.1 Release Date
SamMobile We believe it when Samsung says it hasn’t started testing because it’s stuck with Samsung’s Android update plans. With that in mind, we’d expect the Android 5.1 Lollipop update, or whatever Samsung has used to deliver new features, to be far away. We’re probably months and months away from the release date, especially when you consider the Galaxy Note 3’s place in the rankings. It is no longer a flagship.
Source reddit It claims the weakening of TouchWiz will come to other devices “in the long run,” but doesn’t give any specific release details for specific devices. For us, in the long run, it means it may take some time for Samsung to roll out these features. Samsung needs these features to help sell the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, so it probably won’t roll them out to older, budget-friendly devices tomorrow or the next day.
Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Problems
We expect the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop issues to persist. We’ve seen tons of complaints about the update, and we don’t expect users at Verizon, US Cellular or Sprint to be immune to them. With or without rigorous testing, bugs and problems are always overlooked, and we expect more Galaxy Note 3 models to experience similar issues once they receive their upgrades.
Those of you preparing your device before the Android 5.0 Lollipop release date will reduce the chances of getting Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop issues, but you always run the risk of installing a major Android update like Android 5.0. Be proactive and investigate bugs, fixes and performance before installing software.
Bug Fix Updates
We expect Samsung and its carriers to release bug fix updates for Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop issues. Samsung has released an update that brings back Silent Mode, and we expect carriers to roll out smaller updates in the future aimed at fixing Lollipop issues. Although it is difficult to say when these updates will be released, we would be surprised if the operators had expected Android 5.1.
Future
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a year old, which means it’s (at least) another year of Android updates. Samsung usually keeps devices updated for a year. To us, this means that if it releases a new update later this year, it will likely get Google’s next major Android update.
After reaching the two-year limit in October of this year, the device will sit in a gray area. Don’t expect Samsung to say anything publicly until you get much further down the road.
