Concerning new operating systems on smartphones, many handset owners and shoppers wish that wireless carriers would be more forthcoming. The reason why many carriers, and even smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, do not predict the arrival of an operating system update is because of the very nature of rolling out new software. It is incredibly difficult to predict a launch day, or even a month or time-frame ahead of time, and at least Samsung has done a good job of not misleading its prospective S4 purchasers about Android 4.4 KitKat.
The company has only said that the phone will eventually get the upgrade, but there are multiple reasons to believe that an update is currently on the way, and not just in the works. Announcing the update in September, Google began rolling out Android 4.4 to its Nexus lineup in November. The Galaxy Note 3 Android 4.4KitKat update began last week, and many believe, both customers and analysts, that this meant the Samsung Galaxy S4 would be receiving the update next. However, Samsung is still keeping silent.
As mentioned here in this column previously, French carrier SFR stated the Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 KitKat update will roll out between January and February. Other respected industry analysts pointed to January or early February as a probable Android 4.4 launch to the Galaxy S4 as well. And SamMobile, a Samsung dedicated Web site famous for insider leaked information, recently stated a Galaxy S4 Android 4.4 update had just begun compatibility testing.
These are all good signs surrounding possible Android 4.4 OTA release for the Galaxy S4 smartphone, and the fact that the Galaxy Note 3 OS boost is going well also says good things for the similarly designed Galaxy S4. Samsung has in the past been a big fan of rolling out updates in stages, taking its time to make sure that each handset has the best chance at an error-free rollout. With the Android 4.4 upgrade hitting the Galaxy Note 3 currently in Poland and heading westward, watching how that system update works in the United States and Canada will be important for Samsung S4 smartphone owners in North America.
Still, though the popular and bestselling Galaxy S4 is not sporting the most recent software, the handset is still one of the top two or three sellers in the mobile phone marketplace. With wireless N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, DLNA, infrared and 4G wireless connectivity options, the Galaxy S4 is more a multifunctional consumer-electronics device than a simple smartphone. Boasting a large 5.0 inch Full HD display and an extremely slim (7.9 mm or 0.31 inch) profile, the Galaxy S4 offers multiple hands-free, voice controlled and gesture driven operations. Its quad core Snapdragon 600 CPU has been clocked at an impressive 1.9 GHz, 2.0 GB of RAM system memory is on board, as is 16 GB of built-in data storage and a microSD slot.
