14 DAY TRIAL // South Korean mobile phone maker Samsung Electronics might be planning the release of Android 4.4.2 KitKat to Sprint’s version of the Galaxy SII handset in the near future, as the company has already made available the kernel source for the update.
The source code for the Sprint Galaxy S III Android 4.4.2 KitKat update has been spotted by gottabemobile on Samsung’s OpenSource website for developers, though users haven’t seen the update arriving on their smartphones as of now.
However, this is not something unusual, as Samsung does tend to release the kernel of new updates before actually rolling them out.
However, this also suggests that KitKat might start arriving on Galaxy S III at Sprint in a matter of days, despite the lack of an official announcement on the matter.
Further proof of that comes from a User Agent Profile on Sprint’s website, which lists the Galaxy S III SPH-L710 model with Android 4.4.2 KitKat loaded on top right from the beginning.
Considering the fact that both discoveries were made a couple of days ago, we might see Samsung and Sprint announcing the new update either over the weekend or early next week.
Those who would like to have a closer look at the aforementioned kernel source should head over to this page on Samsung’s OpenSource website.
While end-users might not find the file very useful, developers and ROM builders will be able to play with it and even start cooking the unofficial software for the device.
The update is available for download as version L710VPUDND8 and is said to pack the Linux 3.4 kernel, in addition to all the enhancements that KitKat has to offer.
Should Sprint indeed plan on making the update available for its Galaxy S III users as soon as the next week, we might see other operators in the United States making a similar move soon after.
Galaxy S III owners on the networks of AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and others should receive the update on their devices, despite the fact that none of these carriers has confirmed plans on the matter.
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the availability of Android 4.4.2 KitKat for Galaxy S III, as many suggested that the device would never get a taste of it.
However, as it turns out, the phone might actually receive it, at least at some carriers and in specific markets, if not worldwide. Stay tuned for more on the matter.
Update: As it turns out, Sprint has released the update earlier than expected, and Galaxy S III users can already download and install it.