I need kitkat on my S4 mini - To root or not to root!

[savski]

Hi all,

I really hope somebody can help me out, I've spent (many!) hours trying to find a solution to my problem without success. Here goes:

I bought a new unlocked Samsung S4 mini LTE (GT-i9195) several months ago from a store where I currently live in Switzerland. It came with android 4.2.2. but I desperately want to update to kitkat because I need to use the ANT+ functionality that arrived with android versions after 4.2.2.

I have tried over the air and also with Kies but it always says I have the latest firmware and android version (4.2.2), I have phoned Samsung twice and they don't offer any kind of solution but just tell me that it should work. Great.

I have spend hours looking on-line for posts about people upgrading to kitkat, but I never find a definitive answer. So here is my dilemma! Shall I root the device, which I must say I am a little nervous about, or hang around indefinitely waiting for this upgrade to arrive?

I would love to hear if anybody has:

1) Successfully upgraded to kitkat with an unlocked GT-i9195 without rooting, then at least I know my phone is faulty

2) Successfully upgraded to kitkat after rooting - please point me in the direction where you found instructions to do this, it seems like a minefield when I have looked

Thanks in advance to anybody who can help.

Savski

 

[Golfdriver97]

Hi all,

I really hope somebody can help me out, I've spent (many!) hours trying to find a solution to my problem without success. Here goes:

I bought a new unlocked Samsung S4 mini LTE (GT-i9195) several months ago from a store where I currently live in Switzerland. It came with android 4.2.2. but I desperately want to update to kitkat because I need to use the ANT+ functionality that arrived with android versions after 4.2.2.

I have tried over the air and also with Kies but it always says I have the latest firmware and android version (4.2.2), I have phoned Samsung twice and they don't offer any kind of solution but just tell me that it should work. Great.

I have spend hours looking on-line for posts about people upgrading to kitkat, but I never find a definitive answer. So here is my dilemma! Shall I root the device, which I must say I am a little nervous about, or hang around indefinitely waiting for this upgrade to arrive?

I would love to hear if anybody has:

1) Successfully upgraded to kitkat with an unlocked GT-i9195 without rooting, then at least I know my phone is faulty

2) Successfully upgraded to kitkat after rooting - please point me in the direction where you found instructions to do this, it seems like a minefield when I have looked

Thanks in advance to anybody who can help.

Savski

Welcome to the forums.
I would say root the device then flash a custom recovery and ROM. This way, you will probably get updates faster then Samsung will push them.
As for learning how to root, I would search on YouTube for videos on how to do it. Find a few from different channels to compare. Watch them a couple times, take notes the third time you watch it, and above all else, if you are unclear on even the smallest detail, ask before you start doing anything. It's better to ask and wait a few extra days then to rush in, do it, get stuck, and be frantic about how to fix it.

 

[alexuio]

Kit kat update has been announced for june...