Android 4.4.4 Update Roll-out Begins for Galaxy S3 LTE (GT-I9305N)

The original international Galaxy S3 (I9300) variant was missed out of Samsung's KitKat listing as the handset has reached the end of 18-month support period from the manufacturer. On the contrary the LTE model, having had 2GB RAM launched a few months later, is able to support the platform upgrade.

Samsung has now started seeding Android 4.4.4 firmware update for the LTE model bearing model number GT-I9305N in Nordic countries.

The update bumps the build version to I9305NXXUFNI4 along with various KitKat features including wireless printing support, faster performance, reduced memory consumption, white status bar icons, full-screen lockscreen album art, updated Samsung apps, closed caption support and general stability improvements, according to Sammobile.

The update will take some time reach all the regions across the globe. To check the availability of the firmware navigate to Settings> About phone> Software update> Check now.

Firmware details

• Model: GT-I9305N
• Model name: Galaxy S3 LTE
• Region: NEE (Finland)
• Changelist: 2760029
• Build date: 12 September
• PDA: I9305NXXUFNI4
• CSC: I9305NNEEFNI4
• Modem: I9305NXXUFNI4

Advanced users can directly update their Galaxy S3 LTE by flashing the stock firmware via manual installation. Those users looking for a manual installation method may follow the guide below.

IBTimes UK reminds its readers that it will not be held liable for any damage to the device.

Pre-requisites

• Install USB Drivers for Samsung Galaxy S3 to connect the Android device with the computer.
• Enable USB Debugging Mode on phone to connect it with the computer and use Android SDK with it. [Navigate to Settings>> About phone. Tap on Build Number several times until a message appears saying 'You are now a Developer.' Now go to Settings>> Developer Options to enable USB Debugging Mode.]
• As the tutorial is likely to wipe out all data of the phone, create a backup. If the device is having any custom recoveries such as CWM/TWRP then backup data using the same.
• If the Android phone powers off due to lack of battery while the installation process, it could damage the device. Therefore, the Galaxy S3 should have battery charge above 80%.
• The device should be factory unlocked and not locked to a particular carrier.
• The phone will lose custom ROM with the installation of official firmware. Also, the custom recovery will be replaced by the stock version.
• The device will no longer belong to a rooted version with the installation of official firmware.
• I9305NXXUFNI4 Android 4.4.4 stock firmware works only with Galaxy S3 LTE GT-I9305N. As flashing this on any other variant might brick the device, verify the model number of Galaxy S3 by navigating to Settings>> About device>> Model number.

Download files

I9305NXXUFNI4 [Courtesy of Samsung Updates]

Odin v3.09

How to install I9305NXXUFNI4 Android 4.4.4 KitKat on Galaxy S3 (GT-I9305N)

• Extract the downloaded firmware zip using any extracting tool to get a .tar.md5 file with few other files, which are optional
• Extract the Odin zip to get Odin3 v.3.09.exe with few other files
• Switch off Galaxy S3
• Place the phone into Download Mode by pressing and holding Home, Power and Volume Down button together
• Ensure that you have installed Galaxy S3 USB Drivers on the computer.
• Run Odin as Administrator on the computer
• Connect the Galaxy S3 to computer using USB cable while it is in Download mode. Wait for some time until Odin detects the device. When the phone is connected successfully, the ID: COM box in Odin will turn light blue with COM port number. This step might take some time
• In Odin, click AP button and select the firmware file with .tar.md5 extension
• Enable Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time checkboxes in Odin. Ensure Re-Partition checkbox is not checked
• Verify everything and click the Start button in Odin. The installation process should begin now and take a few minutes to complete
• When the installation process is completed, the phone will restart automatically. Once the home screen appears on the phone, disconnect the phone from the computer

I9305NXXUFNI4 stock Android build with version 4.4.4 should now be running on the Galaxy S3. Check the new firmware version by navigating to Settings>> About phone.