Samsung gave us plenty to think about during its Unpacked event yesterday, as it launched three different products, the Galaxy Note 3, the Galaxy Gear, and the 2014 edition Galaxy Note 10.1. Toward the end of the show, another interesting morsel of news was slipped in, which potentially went unnoticed amongst all the tech demos. Apparently, owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 smartphones should look out for an Android 4.3 update very soon.
It’s no surprise the Galaxy S4 is in-line to receive Google’s latest version of Android, but it’s refreshing to hear the older Galaxy S3 is still supported, although the device can hardly be referred to as out of date. We don’t know if the update will cover the various Galaxy S4 spin-offs, such as the S4 Active and Zoom, but there’s a good chance it will. The update is expected to be sent out in October, but as the comment was made during a busy presentation, no further details were provided.
That means we don’t know if the October date is when the update will be sent to carriers, or if it’s already there and being tested. We’re going to say it’s probably the former, which will have a serious impact on the delivery date, as network testing programs can take several months to complete. Still, a 2013 rollout is still achievable provided everything goes smoothly in carrier testing.
Samsung’s good heart may not be the reason we’re getting the upgrade though, as it surely has an ulterior motive – to give as many people access to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch as possible. The Gear is only compatible with hardware running Android 4.3 and at the moment, that’s only the Galaxy Note 3 and the 2014 Note 10.1. Add the many millions of Galaxy S3 and S4 owners into the mix, and Samsung’s sales projections for the watch rise considerably.
We’ll keep you informed of any further word from Samsung on the Android 4.3 update, and any special Premium Suite goodies which may accompany it.
