Stock Galaxy Note 3 Phones Only: Any Regrets after Upgrading to KitKat, or are you glad you did?

[mspace81]

A week or two? The update has only been out for like a week, hasn't it? There may be some information you are leaving out. Is your phone rooted? If so, that doesn't apply here. You are on Verizon, correct? If not, that doesn't apply as well as this is a Verizon forum and all updates, although they should be similar, are not equal.

My note 3 is with T-Mobile, sorry I left that out lol. I know others who are with different carriers and different devices experiencing the same issues.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[DLCPhototography]

I appreciate all the feedback so far. Not surprisingly, the experience has been mixed.

The report from mspace81, because it's a T-Mobile phone, isn't directly relevant, but useful to note.

As for the others (tomskae, tabguy, Diabl0), could you address the following that I asked in a prior post:

Can you identify anything unusual in your situation, such as having previously rooted your device, flashed other ROMs, disabled or frozen a significant number of Verizon 'bloatware' or other system apps, 3rd Party Launcher or other system-wide apps, enabled unusual Developer settings, or anything that would make your device somewhat out of the 'mainstream'?

Thanks.

 

[jim2112]

I can't tell much difference so I am glad it went well. The phone was great before the update, and I was afraid a problem would show up after the update. The only problem I had was my 3rd party SMS app called Handcent SMS. After I followed the directions and made it my default SMS, it worked as well as always, maybe a little faster. I am glad to have the update done, I know it is more compatible with newer apps now and I can breath easy. (Foxfi still works too.) Take this review X2 since I updated my girlfriends Note 3 also with no problems at all.

 

[Diabl0]

I appreciate all the feedback so far. Not surprisingly, the experience has been mixed.

The report from mspace81, because it's a T-Mobile phone, isn't directly relevant, but useful to note.

As for the others (tomskae, tabguy, Diabl0), could you address the following that I asked in a prior post:

Can you identify anything unusual in your situation, such as having previously rooted your device, flashed other ROMs, disabled or frozen a significant number of Verizon 'bloatware' or other system apps, 3rd Party Launcher or other system-wide apps, enabled unusual Developer settings, or anything that would make your device somewhat out of the 'mainstream'?

Thanks.

None of that for me. Phone is 100% stock.

 

[DLCPhototography]

None of that for me. Phone is 100% stock.

Interesting, and also worrisome.

Do you have Light Flow installed? Some users have identified this as a possible source for problems. Any other clue on why your phone got messed up while others have no problems?

Still interested in other reports, and responses from tomskae and tabguy on their particular phones' configurations.

 

[dpham00]

I got the update via the samsung upgrade assistant and I've had no problems, battery life is the same if not better I had 4 annoying bugs on 4.3 that are ALL fixed, I noticed the signal meter is showing one or two less bars then before but it has not affected my data speeds...

Sent from my SM-N900V using AC Forums mobile app

I didn't notice any change in signal.

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

 

[DINGSTER1]

Great thread! I literally just now got the update notice and held off until I checked AC. Will keep watching

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk

 

[Diabl0]

Interesting, and also worrisome.

Do you have Light Flow installed? Some users have identified this as a possible source for problems. Any other clue on why your phone got messed up while others have no problems?

Still interested in other reports, and responses from tomskae and tabguy on their particular phones' configurations.

No light flow. I think I need to factory reset, but I'll get to it eventually. I'm not the biggest fan of setting up my phone all over again and signing into all of my accounts again.

 

[RHChan84]

With any updates, a reset makes your experience much better. This goes for any phones I have used. Blackberry, Android, palmOS, and of course iPhones.
When the new iOS came out, people with the iPhone4 has multiple issues. I did as well. Very slow to respond and just overall slow. None of the workarounds worked for me. Factory reset and it was night and day.
But then again, I didn't have a lot of setup to do since it's my work phone. Only setup my work email and download a couple of travel apps.

Sent from my Droid RAZR MAXX (tapatalk)

 

[Lee Hagan]

Galaxy Note 3 was sent OTA update for kit kat 4.4.2 May 17, 8:10 am after that update the phone battery started dropping, the screen started freezing up and lagging, home button no longer was working, wifi keeps dropping &/or can't log on to wifi, but worst of all I can not send or receive text messages, & phone call reception is poor and get more dropped calls in areas that use to be very solid reception. I did everything samsung and verizon told me to do, battery out and back in , sims card out and back in, empty cache, etc.... nothing worked! Very upset, can not communicate with my son via text messaging unless I make it a multimedia message and send via data, but still do not receive his texts back . . .the next day if I turn off the phone and turn it back on a few text messages will come streaming in . . but not all of them. My battery use to last a full day with heavy use and a day and a half with minimum use . . now it is only lasting 3-4 hours!?!?!?!?! I was told by Samsung that I can not remove the update but that they can "reflash the software" at one of their samsung experience shops (i.e. Best Buy). I called one of their experts and they told me that they will just re-install the update to make sure it was loaded correctly.??? That maybe it was interrupted during installation causing the problems. Nothing interrupted it . . and if this is true than how come the users that downloaded the updated via wired to pc are having the same problems?? Verizon offered a refurbished replacement. ., .I told them no way. I spent a lot of money and this phone was only a few months old. I WISH I HAD NEVER UPDATED TO KIT KAT 4.4.2 **SO Does anyone know if the software update can be removed?

 

[RHChan84]

Once you update to a bigger build IE. GB->JB or JB->KK, downgrading is not possible or very tough where you can brick your phone.

Sent from my Droid RAZR MAXX (tapatalk)

 

[DLCPhototography]

Galaxy Note 3 was sent OTA update for kit kat 4.4.2 March 17, 8:10 am after that update the phone battery started dropping, the screen started freezing up and lagging, home button no longer was working, wifi keeps dropping &/or can't log on to wifi, but worst of all I can not send or receive text messages, & phone call reception is poor and get more dropped calls in areas that use to be very solid reception. I did everything samsung and verizon told me to do, battery out and back in , sims card out and back in, empty cache, etc.... nothing worked! Very upset, can not communicate with my son via text messaging unless I make it a multimedia message and send via data, but still do not receive his texts back . . .the next day if I turn off the phone and turn it back on a few text messages will come streaming in . . but not all of them. My battery use to last a full day with heavy use and a day and a half with minimum use . . now it is only lasting 3-4 hours!?!?!?!?! I was told by Samsung that I can not remove the update but that they can "reflash the software" at one of their samsung experience shops (i.e. Best Buy). I called one of their experts and they told me that they will just re-install the update to make sure it was loaded correctly.??? That maybe it was interrupted during installation causing the problems. Nothing interrupted it . . and if this is true than how come the users that downloaded the updated via wired to pc are having the same problems?? Verizon offered a refurbished replacement. ., .I told them no way. I spent a lot of money and this phone was only a few months old. I WISH I HAD NEVER UPDATED TO KIT KAT 4.4.2 **SO Does anyone know if the software update can be removed?

Thanks for the report, and sorry you're having problems.

One question, though - you indicate that you did the update March 17 - is this a typo? The official OTA update wasn't available until sometime in May. If you did in fact update in March, how did you get it?

Have you tried a factory reset yet? That is something you can do on your own.

Thanks.

 

[Lee Hagan]

Sorry May 17th.

 

[DLCPhototography]

Sorry May 17th.

No worries. I figured that's what you meant, but wanted to make sure.

From the reading I've done, it seems that a full Factory Reset would be in order, and could possibly resolve some or all of your issues. If you do this, please let us know what happens, good or bad.

 

[Lee Hagan]

I have not totally reset the phone because Samsung told me that that would not remove the update and I would lose a lot of my data. I can back everything up and I started to do that via my laptop, however I am taking the phone to the Samsung Experience shop tomorrow and let them "reflash the software." If it does not work, I told them that I wanted them to replace it with a NEW phone not a refurbished one, then I will start from scratch.

I am not the only one with this problem. Verizon told me that they have been overloaded with costumers having problems with the update to kit kat 4.4.2, & that the update came from Samsung so it was not their "fault" . . but they have been just replacing the phones with refurbished ones. & several sites online have indicated that the replacement phones are having the same problems. Verizon's technical support put me on a three-way call with Samsung's technical support. We discussed it and I was told that Samsung would call me back today and then I am to take the phone to their Samsung Experience Shop to have them "reflash the software." Samsung said if that does not fix it then they will send it off for repair since it is still under warranty. Needless to say I am not happy about this. :-\ My Note 3 worked perfectly prior to the software update!

 

[Lee Hagan]

No worries. I figured that's what you meant, but wanted to make sure.

From the reading I've done, it seems that a full Factory Reset would be in order, and could possibly resolve some or all of your issues. If you do this, please let us know what happens, good or bad.

Samsung told me not to factory reset the phone. So I did not do that yet. They told me that I needed to have the update reinstalled on the phone.

 

[DLCPhototography]

Samsung told me not to factory reset the phone. So I did not do that yet. They told me that I needed to have the update reinstalled on the phone.

Thanks. Yours is the type of situation that has made me very hesitant to accept the update. I'm extremely happy with my phone as is, and it doesn't seem the KitKat update offers me much of anything, and has a risk of making things worse.

So all else being equal, I'd be content to stay where I am, but I've found no way to block the constant reminder from the OS to do the update. If I could do that, without rooting, that's what I'd choose. And I'm reluctant to root, for the same reason that I'm reluctant to accept the OTA update - the risk of making things worse, with little to gain (for my situation, anyway).

Keep us posted.

 

[Spencerdl]

Interesting, and also worrisome.

Do you have Light Flow installed? Some users have identified this as a possible source for problems. Any other clue on why your phone got messed up while others have no problems?

Still interested in other reports, and responses from tomskae and tabguy on their particular phones' configurations.

Day TWO with the KitKat update and no problems to report so far. I have LightFlow installed and its working good with no effect on my Note3 and the new Verizon KitKat OS

 

[Lee Hagan]

Thanks. Yours is the type of situation that has made me very hesitant to accept the update. I'm extremely happy with my phone as is, and it doesn't seem the KitKat update offers me much of anything, and has a risk of making things worse.

So all else being equal, I'd be content to stay where I am, but I've found no way to block the constant reminder from the OS to do the update. If I could do that, without rooting, that's what I'd choose. And I'm reluctant to root, for the same reason that I'm reluctant to accept the OTA update - the risk of making things worse, with little to gain (for my situation, anyway).

Keep us posted.

I wish I could go back and NOT download that update . . .at least until they get all the bugs fixed. I will let you all know what happens tomorrow after Samsung "reflashes the software." I hope that corrects the problem.

 

[slowmo1817]

I just did the update today. Stock phone. I do have Fox Fii installed, now it does not work. I am also getting an alert message that says to "Check credentials" which says "A trusted certificate on your device is allowing a third party to monitor your network activity, including your emails, apps and secure websites."

I can go to the trusted credentials through my settings, but have no idea which one may be giving me this alert. Any ideas? Of course, I never looked at the trusted credentials prior to the update (or ever) so I have no idea which one to delete, etc.