Anonymous, 14 May 2014How when even IPhone 4 has IOS 7 support . IPhone 4 a four year old smartphone.Hardware I guess... The apple platform doesn't evolve as fast as the Google one.
I wonder what percentage of S3 users who are upset at no official Kit-Kat update are still running Windows XP on their PC (or Vista, for that matter).
AnonD-205659, 14 May 2014You are right. However, making a compatible operating system for a capable device is much easi... moreI fully agree with you. Now I'm switching to LG and Nokia. The most I hate is S4 and S5 dropped the FM Radio, which I really need. Streaming radio is not an option since it depends on internet connection which is not reliable in my area
S3 is better than S4 and S5.
Not spec-wise. But user satisfaction wise.
Anonymous, 14 May 2014apple drops some features for ios7 in order to kept iphone 4 updated.. samsung could do the sa... moreright, but KitKat was supposed to be lighter and more compatible for low end smartphones... the galaxy 3 still has better specs than most low end phones... and even low end phones will get kitkat (Moto E?). so, whats your opinion on that?
AnonD-8044, 14 May 2014Its business tho, its a case of the S3(which I have just bought again)is old hat and 2 year co... moreYou are right. However, making a compatible operating system for a capable device is much easier than replacing an entire car engine.
While the operating system is dependent on Google, it is not difficult for Samsung to sustain their still functioning devices. Users who have to upgrade have the choices now of getting another Samsung phone, Android phone or switching to Apple or Nokia. Therefore, giving users more reason to want to leave Samsung.
This just shows the reason why Apple's premium price tag is worth it all.
Users' Galaxy S5s will cost just as much as a new iPhone but be outdated by winter this year. Even Sony and Nokia fail to sustain their devices for more than a year.
If you want to benefit from the latest version of Android, you have to keep getting a new phone every year or just get a Nexus. iPhone 4 is 3 years old and still one of the most used smartphones (not only iPhone) in the entire world.
If you want support and sustainability, go with an iPhone.
Anonymous, 14 May 2014apple drops some features for ios7 in order to kept iphone 4 updated.. samsung could do the sa... moreIts business tho, its a case of the S3(which I have just bought again)is old hat and 2 year contracts are up time to buy our latest model..
I don't actually expect updates to latest O/S just bug fixes and improvements and security updates..When car manufacturers 2 years down the line bring out a more efficient engine they don't replace the one in your 2 year old car,,why should they spend money and resources trying to get KITKAT ready for a device that ancient in tech years..??
Anonym, 13 May 2014Xperia S may actually be a pretty bad example, only because it's SoC has been discontinued ver... moreEven if I haven't tried the Samsung ROMs and Kernals people reported the same thing. Standby power drain is higher and the general usage battery lfe is lesser. If they really had access to compatible Kernals released by vendors like Qualcomm that would automatically mean they ripped it out from OEM firmware anyway. Then if you change the ROM alone maybe you at best match what the stock could do if all things go well.
But the ROM mix and match thingy is't perfect either, many OEMs have Kernal specific ROM tweaks in their official firmware releases. These are not getting replicated when some independent developer makes their own ROM.
I am not sure how much are they liable to get sued for using the Kernals that way for custom builds without a license. Anyway they aren't offering anything better so why bother at all with changing unless you are so unsatisfied with the stock ROM. I do appreciate some want to remove all the bloat but that can be done modifying existing OEM firmware and that can't classified as 'XDA development', just a mod.
For unsupported products from the vendor like my Xperia S case, any custom ROM/Kernal is a waste of time as you have rightly pointed out.
I am still yet to see any worthwhile independent proof where custom ROMs/Kernals have significantly improved battery life without adversely impacting usage experience (Franco kernel BS for example). Matching the stock battery life? Yes perhaps, but exceeding? nope.
Anonymous, 14 May 2014How when even IPhone 4 has IOS 7 support . IPhone 4 a four year old smartphone.apple drops some features for ios7 in order to kept iphone 4 updated.. samsung could do the same,just drop half of it features and give an update..in the end of the day,they just to lazy to maintained s3 and want to push customer to their latest product,in order to boost the sales volume. just my humble personal opinion.
AnonD-209261, 13 May 2014Now Samsung seems to be copying Apple even with their company policies...How when even IPhone 4 has IOS 7 support . IPhone 4 a four year old smartphone.
Anonymous, 13 May 2014International and mini wont get kit Kat, the normal ones willI'm sorry to point out, but once you exclude the International version you are thereafter referring to something which is far from being "the normal version".
It may be "the normal version" to those who happen to live in one of the few territories which have their own version, not to the vast majority of the world.
(I'm excluding the LTE version, which again, given the differences in hardware vs. the original S3 it could hardly be called "the normal version")
Anonymous, 13 May 2014But the moto g doesn't have touchwiz slowing it downTouchwiz is no excuse for no KitKat.
Surely Samsung could of found a way to update the GS3 despite having Touchwiz pre loaded.
International and mini wont get kit Kat, the normal ones will
AnonD-263405, 13 May 2014Yeah, it's an ancient phone (2yo is that it?) Why even bother update it officially? (cough ... moreYeah, I'm pretty sure the Lumia 900 owners must be thrilled... or not, since their phone launched pretty much near the Galaxy S3 and they are stuck in WP7.x.
AnonD-96336, 13 May 2014techie life is very unfair. i remember the S3 launch like was yesterday 'Design for human'. ... moreAs if other phones are designed for ANIMALS !
AnonD-259899, 13 May 2014I tried the same on my Xperia S, tried all the so called popular ones. Battery drain was horre... moreXperia S may actually be a pretty bad example, only because it's SoC has been discontinued very early by Qualcomm, so you were very likely using something which had to be very heavily hacked at a very fundamental level just to work.
Your previous Nexus 4 example was way better... but do not forget that Nexus 4 also had it's own fair share of small issues even with stock Google ROM (something which could not get any better by using Nightly versions of changing AOSP code).
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there isn't a shortage of horror stories. But then again I am pretty sure I am not the only one who had a success story -- I personally know quite a few people who are pretty happy with their 3rd-party ROMs in quite a few different devices.
AnonD-237024, 13 May 2014Not giving KitKat to the GS3 IMO is just lazy of Samsung. The Moto G has KitKat, and that h... moreBut the moto g doesn't have touchwiz slowing it down
This is probably the best 4.4.2 kitkat rom out there for Galaxy S3 i9300(and Galaxy S2 i9100-not the same link, but same developer and same custom rom series and contents): http://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s3/development/rom-i9300-aosp-neatrom-t2603155
I don't know why it's so hard to find, but I have tested pretty much all major and minor developers' custom kitkat roms for Galaxy S3 i9300 AND for Galaxy S2 i9100 and NEATROM seems to win at everything-it offers stock google experience and is stabler than the current official rom for Galaxy S3 i9300 and current official rom for Galaxy S2 i9100. Better in every aspect than the official firmware, except if you like all the samsung bloatware that makes the phone slow and limits its space. The reason is that the developer only makes roms for Galaxy S3 i9300 and Galaxy S2 i9100
Yeah, it's an ancient phone (2yo is that it?) Why even bother update it officially?
(cough wp8.1 on 920 cough)
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