Well this is pretty bad news for Samsung Galaxy SIII and Galaxy SIII Mini users, as today Samsung have announced that these two handsets will not be taking the Next Android step to KitKat 4.4.
Samsung have stated that the KitKat 4.4 update will ne be released to either of the older phones as their specifications “does not allow them to effectively support the platform upgrade”.
For the Galaxy SIII (or S3 by new naming conventions) this isn’t such a big deal, as the Smartphone is now two versions removed from the current Galaxy S5 device, but the S3 Mini is a bit more of a shock as the phone is still under 2 years old, and thus many users on contracts are still paying for the
The full statement from Samsung Mobile UK (to SamMiobile) reads:
“In order to facilitate an effective upgrade on the Google platform, various hardware performances such as the memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), multi-tasking capabilities, and display must meet certain technical expectations. The Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions come equipped with 1GB RAM, which does not allow them to effectively support the platform upgrade.”
“As a result of the Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions’ hardware limitation, they cannot effectively support the platform upgrade while continuing to provide the best consumer experience. Samsung has decided not to roll-out the KitKat upgrade to Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions, and the KitKat upgrade will be available to the Galaxy S3 LTE version as the device’s 2GB RAM is enough to support the platform upgrade.”
That’s it folks, Samsung likely won’t budge on this now (although backlash in the past has changed some manufacturers minds), so the Galaxy SIII will now stay on Android Jelly Bean 4.3 with the SIII mini lunging on Android 4.1.2.
Source: SamMobile