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Samsung updates Galaxy S4, Note 3 with Android KitKat

The Korean electronics giant unwraps Google's mobile OS for more than a dozen devices, but availability varies by carrier and product.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
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Shara Tibken
The Galaxy S4 will soon run Android KitKat. Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
Google's Android 4.4.2 KitKat update, launched in October, will now hit a variety of Samsung devices.

The Korean electronics giant said availability of KitKat varies by carrier and product, but updates will begin Tuesday and will continue through the coming months. The Galaxy S4 and Note 3 are among the devices that will now run Google's latest version of its mobile software.

New features of that operating system include a redesigned dialer that allows users to search for any number, even if it's not in their phone books. For example, users can start typing the name of a restaurant and see the number appear in their list. In addition, search results or queries now pull data from apps as well as the Web. A search for a restaurant, for example, could include an app in the search results.

Here's the full list of Samsung devices scheduled to receive KitKat:

  • Galaxy Note 3
  • Galaxy Note 2
  • Galaxy S4
  • Galaxy S4 Mini
  • Galaxy S4 Active
  • Galaxy S4 Zoom
  • Galaxy S3
  • Galaxy S3 Mini
  • Galaxy Mega
  • Galaxy Light
  • Galaxy Note 8.0
  • Galaxy Tab 3
  • Galaxy Note 10.1
  • Galaxy Note 10.1, 2014 Edition

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