Folks over at XDA posted an internal document of Samsung which said the KitKat update for Galaxy S3 has been cancelled for now. The reason is pretty absurd, Samsung’s developers couldn’t get to fix Samsung’s very own custom layer “TouchWiz” (Bloatware) over stock Android. While it’s no secret that there aren’t many users who actually take advantage of these bloatware that are coupled with all of Samsung’s devices, they are still adamant to cut down on its size.
Samsung issued the following statement to SamMobile for the failure to give an update
In order to facilitate an effective upgrade on the Google platform, various hardware performances such as the memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), multi-tasking capabilities, and display must meet certain technical expectations. The Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions come equipped with 1GB RAM, which does not allow them to effectively support the platform upgrade. As a result of the Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions’ hardware limitation, they cannot effectively support the platform upgrade while continuing to provide the best consumer experience.
Samsung has decided not to roll-out the KitKat upgrade to Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions, and the KitKat upgrade will be available to the Galaxy S3 LTE version as the device’s 2GB RAM is enough to support the platform upgrade.
Although it is indeed far from the truth that a device with 1GB of RAM cannot handle the latest version of android , it is pretty obvious for Samsung to tone down on TouchWiz.
While it is indeed important for various manufacturers to distinguish their devices from one another, they need to keep in mind the taste of the customer. It would be real wise of Samsung to cut down on the bloat they add-on top of vanilla Android.
If you are a Galaxy S3 user, it would be wise to head over to XDA forums for plenty of KitKat based ROM’s and for the technically handicapped people, its time! Make the switch to OEM’s who actually take updates seriously. We strongly suggest Motorola’s devices, Google Play Editions, and the Nexus line of devices.
[…] One word to explain it : Touchwiz. Its high time Samsung reconsiders the fate of Touchwiz. The same Galaxy S5 running on a vanilla AOSP(Galaxy S5 Google Play Edition) build blows the Moto E out of the competition. Remember when Samsung confirmed it won’t update the Galaxy S3 to KitKat? […]