Users of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will be happy to hear that the 2013 phablet will be receiving the Android 5.0 Lollipop mobile operating system update very soon -- even before the newer Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge!
The info dropped on T-Mobile's software update page and it lists every device that is expected to get the update soon. "Devices listed here are currently preparing to deliver a software update," T-Mobile states on the page. "Select a device listed below to see where it is in the process. All devices are sorted by manufacturer."
For Samsung, the page shows the Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge, and Galaxy S5 listed. The page also shows updates coming to the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013), HTC One, HTC One M8, LG G2, and LG G3.
For the Galaxy Note 3, the handy interactive page shows that the device has hit Stage 2, which means that it has hit the T-Mobile testing stage. "During this stage the device will go through T-Mobile certification process testing to make sure you get the best quality software possible," the site says. The Note 4 and Note Edge are both stuck in Stage 1: Manufacturer Development. "T-Mobile and the device manufacturer have agreed to support a new software update," the site states.
But the Galaxy S5 is listed under Stage 3: Completed. "The software has been approved to launch and is now available."
The Galaxy S5 has been enjoying the Android Lollipop update for a while now on three of the four U.S. carriers, including T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon, but no word yet on when AT&T will enter the game. At&T was also the last to bring Android 4.4.4 KitKat to users last year, so this is par for the course for AT&T users.
The Galaxy S4, on the other hand, has yet to receive the update anywhere but Russia and India. But this probably means that we can expect that OS upgrade to hit the S4 any day now.
This leaves the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S5 Mini, Galaxy S5 Active, Galaxy Note 2, and the Galaxy Alpha still to get the Android Lollipop update. While Samsung focuses its energy and resources on getting the OS upgrade on to the most popular flagship devices, the less-popular ones are still even questionable about getting Lollipop at all. The Note 2 has been confirmed to get Lollipop in the near future, but some rumors suggest that the two-year-old S3 may not even see Lollipop. Even so, some are holding out hope.
As for other versions of these devices, the carrier-less editions of most flagship phones have received the update through manual or over-the-air downloads, while those with contracts are left to wait a while longer. Hopefully not too much longer, though!
