Is kit kat the latest the note 2 can update to. I'm looking for a backup phone and would really want a note 2 only if it can get an of past the kit kat latest
Welcome to Android Central! Probably. There are lots of Note 2 variants, so the latest OS version might vary. You can check here: Firmwares - SamMobile
Of course, there are probably custom ROMs of later OS versions available, if you want to root the phone. Check in the forums at xda-developers.com.