The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update has been suppressed since late January. In the weeks since the update first arrived, it has made solid progress in the United States and regions around the world. With March on, we want to take a look at everything we think you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release as we head into April.
After Samsung released the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update in December, there was expectation that the next Android 5.0 Lollipop update from Samsung would come to its other flagship Galaxy Note 4. As we now know, this did not happen. Instead, the company switched to two former flagships, the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy S4, which were released in 2013.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update started rolling out in late January. The update represents the second major Android release of the Galaxy Note 3 and therefore brings with it a ton of new features, improvements and fixes. Since January, the update has landed for a number of different variants in several different countries, as Samsung and its carrier partners have worked to get the old flagship to everyone who bought it.
March was a busy month for the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release, and Samsung will remain busy as we enter April. Samsung and its carrier partners are keeping quiet about many upcoming upgrades, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have any information.
In fact, we have tons of information about the current status of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update release, and we want to share that information with you as we move forward throughout the year. Here, we summarize what we know and think we know about Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update plans.
Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Release Is Slowly Progressing
While it may not seem like it, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update has been making steady progress since January. It’s still extremely slow moving forward, but we saw a number of launches in March, and as we move into April, we should see Samsung make even more progress.
Samsung’s latest move took place in Canada. Canadian operators Bell, SaskTel and Virgin Mobile have released their own versions of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. From what we can see, the update is a massive 944 MB, so it may take some time to download over a slow Wi-Fi connection. Like all Galaxy Note 3 users, Canadian Galaxy Note 3 users also need to take some time to complete the installation process.
The update was also sent to users in Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Italy and Austria recently. And even if you don’t live in one of these countries, you should appreciate the fact that the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release is still in progress. As a reminder, Samsung’s launches are unpredictable, so those of you with an international model will need to be patient.
Samsung’s job is cut out for this. Galaxy Note 3 is available on tons of carriers in tons of regions worldwide. This is an update that will take a ton of time to complete. There’s probably at least a few months until the Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update ends, so you’ll have to be patient. It’s a slow rollout, but expect to see some pickup in April and May as we move away from the January start date.
US Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Update Update
In the United States, we’ve only seen two carriers deploying the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update. T-Mobile was the first and AT&T released the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update at the end of March. The launch of AT&T will be over in the near future and those who own the AT&T model will want to follow the device closely in the coming days. AT&T’s rollouts usually take no more than a few weeks to complete.
That means there are three Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates left in the United States. Of the three (Verizon, US Cellular, T-Mobile), only Sprint’s Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update has been confirmed.
While Sprint has not released the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update, we know the software is ready for testing as the update appears on the carrier’s website. Of course, the update has been listed on the website for a while, so there’s no word on when Now Network will release its software. Sprint customer service reps said May or June, but nothing has been confirmed.
US carriers don’t usually announce release dates in advance, so owners of these three models will likely be waiting in the dark until the update starts rolling out.
Most Carriers Stay Quiet
Since January, we’ve seen a number of Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates roll out, but we haven’t seen many upcoming Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates confirmed. It’s a bit strange that we see some operators give confirmation, often weeks and sometimes months in advance.
In particular, Australian carriers are lagging behind. Vodafone Australia, Telstra and Optus, three carriers known for being friendly with their customers, are yet to mention Galaxy Android 5.0 updates. Maybe it’s a change in policy, maybe it’s the simple fact that they haven’t received anything from Samsung. We’re not sure at this point, but it’s safe to say that Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates are probably still a long way off.
Even French carrier SFR, a carrier known for announcing Android updates months in advance, has yet to sign off on a Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release. It’s a clear sign that this launch process won’t happen overnight and that many Galaxy Note 3 users will be on Android 4.4 KitKat throughout April.
Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Problems
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop issues continue to be problematic for many Galaxy Note 3 users and we are even starting to see some AT&T users encounter Galaxy Note 3 issues.
AT&T Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop users complain bad reception, abnormal battery consumption, Wi-Fi issues, SMS problems, random ice cream, Installation Issues, problems with the device’s S-Pen pen, Screen capture issues with S Pen, and more. It’s clear that there are issues plaguing this update, just as there have been issues plaguing other Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates we’ve seen. However, for now, the issues with AT&T seem to be reserved for a few users.
This is exactly why you need to be extremely careful when your Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update finally arrives. You need to prepare your device, collect feedback, and consider avoiding the update the first day it arrives.
Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.1 Lollipop Update and Version
There’s been a lot of back and forth recently about the potential for a Samsung Galaxy Android 5.1 release. For those who don’t know, Google is rolling out an Android 5.1 Lollipop update that brings feature tweaks and tons of bug fixes for Nexus smartphone and tablet users. Here’s what you need to know as you head into April.
First of all, if Samsung plans to release Android 5.1 Lollipop updates for its Galaxy smartphones, it has not started development. A reliable source claims that Samsung still hasn’t entered the lab with Android 5.1. What this means is that an Android 5.1 Lollipop release is at least months away. Development takes a ton of time.
That doesn’t mean Samsung won’t use Android 5.1 to roll out fixes and Galaxy S6 TouchWiz features. That means nothing will come to the Galaxy Note 3 or any other Galaxy smartphone in the near future. It’s clear that the company is focusing on Android 5.0.1, Android 5.0.2, and Android 5.0 Lollipop versions, not Android 5.1.
