Official Android 4.3 update for the GALAXY Note II (GT-N7100) begins today
If you have been following the news lately, you will be delighted to hear that Samsung has officially rolled the first GALAXY Note II update to Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean). We have been talking about the recent leaked firmware earlier and that same firmware made its way to official release.
It was a year ago since the GALAXY Note II has become available in the market and every since its availability, Samsung hasn’t made any official update to its core OS and sticking with Android 4.1.2 since the beginning. But today is going to change, the Korean tech giant has pushed the first batch of an official update since its launch. Skipping Android 4.2.2 along the way, the new update features the Android 4.3 release and features a wide improvements and new applications to its core user experience.
In order to deliver great user experience on a Samsung device, Samsung includes the latest Core UI elements on its TouchWiz interface found in both the GALAXY S4 and the new GALAXY Note 3 to the GALAXY Note II update and brings a more richer user experience a state of refresh and better usability.
When installed, users will notice the firmware’s stability and is said to be more stable than the Android 4.3 update for the GALAXY S4 which has a few issues than its GALAXY Note II counterpart. Apps has also been updated with a new Calendar, Calculator, Gallery, Contacts and the Music app, built-in Samsung Wallet and the new and controversial KNOX security software that Samsung is starting to implement across it’s wide range of smartphone devices.
Memory management is also said to have improved since the Android 4.1.2 days with the Android 4.3 update for the GALAXY Note II, it now includes the much celebrated Move-To-SD Card feature which allows users to move apps to microSD cards with easy bringing the joy of freeing up the phone’s built-in storage space to accommodate other important applications that needs to reside within the built-in storage memory. Aside from internal improvements and User Interface updates, the new Android 4.3 for GALAXY Note II also includes a full GALAXY Gear Support making it a par device with the GALAXY Note 3 support wise.
Here is a list of some noticeable improvements on Android 4.3 update for the GALAXY Note II (as per SamMobile):
- GALAXY GEAR Support
- TRIM Support (Makes the device much faster)
- Samsung KNOX
- Samsung Wallet (Pre-loaded)
- Better RAM management
- Core UI elements updated to the ones on the Galaxy S4 (Galaxy S4′s theme all over)
- New Samsung Keyboard
- GPU drivers have been updated (Higher GPU benchmark scores)
- New Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, improved ripple effect than Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message
- New screen modes (From S4): Adapt Display and Professional Photo
- Daydream
- Driving mode
- Actionable notifications
- Move-to-SD-card feature
- New Camera mode : Sound and Shot
- New Additions in Notification Centre
- Completely revamped Settings UI (Tabbed interface – Exactly like the Galaxy S4)
- Implementation of Voice controls (Let’s you control various parts of the phone using voice commands – Galaxy S4 feature)
- New Samsung Apps: Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Gallery, Music
- Full screen Samsung apps
- New S-Voice (from Galaxy S4)
The new update is rolling out in phases with the first batch rolls out in India and should be available in a few days to a weeks time in other regions as well. For carrier locked devices, the update may be quite delayed due to the standard compatibility testing done by carriers but eventually it should be available in due time.
To update your GALAXY Note II, there are options available to get started, often times OTA (Over-The-Air) updates pops a notification for any updates currently available and usually installs straight from your mobile carrier network when the update file is not that large, for updates with large installation files, it is usually recommended to install updates via Samsung’s official Kies software. Last option would be via a third-party ODIN software and is not that comfy compared to the first two mentioned. Using ODIN requires the firmware to be manually downloaded and install the update manually as well, this also requires instructions to be strictly followed as it may brick your device when not done correctly. Either way, when updating you firmware, it is advisable to make a full system backup of your device before doing anything else.
Our source keeps track of any available updates for our GALAXY Note II device and the official firmware can be found there as well, so you may check them out.
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