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Will the Samsung Galaxy S4 Developer Device ever receive an OTA?

I am a Galaxy S4 Developer Device owner and we have yet to receive an OTA. The consumer device has seen two already and is slated to receive its third, the upgrade to Android 4.3. Meanwhile, the Developer Device S4, which is identical to the consumer device in every way except for the fact that is has an unlocked boot loader to allow for installation of custom firmware/software has yet to see one. This is very frustrating. The lack of support for this device is ridiculous. I understand that our warranty is void once the boot loader is unlocked - which is the state it arrives to you from the factory - but being the same in every way like the Consumer S4, it should still be able to receive software upgrades at the same rate as the consumer variant. Having to pay full retail for this device ($649.00 + state tax - in my case almost $50 for NJ) and not being able to get updates or straight answers is kind of ridiculous!

KIES (Samsung's PC-to-mobile upgrade software) does not recognize the Developer S4 Device nor does the Verizon Software Upgrade Assistant installed on the PC the first time you plug the S4 into the PC.

Clarification with this issue would be greatly appreciate. Not sure why we are left out in the cold.

Comments

erictheredviking

Trust me, if you've got a Developer's S4 then you do not want any OTA updates. That's the whole point of having an unlocked developer device so that you have total manual control over it's software. Being able to freely install alternate ROMS like Cyanogenmod and experimenting with alternate recoveries like CWM or TWRP are what owning a developers device is all about. Seem like you do not really fully understand or appreciate this and probably should have bought a consumer GS4 instead since stock OTA ROMS/upgrades are the complete antithesis of the android developer and custom ROM world. A stock OTA ROM might even try to overwrite your unlocked bootloader with a locked one instead.

Try going to the XDA Developers forums and read up on the custom software development in the VZW Galaxy S4 forums there. If you really must have a stock, but yet updated ROM, then someone might be able to point to an appropriate RUU file to accomplish that without risking locking up or bricking your developers edition device.

skeetch79

You can't possibly know what I want. So please do not even begin to

speculate. I love the fact that I have a device which I can customize to my

choosing. Having an unlocked boot loader gives you a huge advantage and

freedom. I have already tinkered with the device. I have rooted my device,

tweaked settings, installed custom recoveries and have gone through a

handful of ROMs. I have had an android device for 6+ years so I am

definitely not a n00b at this. I fully understand and appreciate what I

have in hand. I think you probably should not have replied to my initial

approach. You seem like the kind of folk which are over on XDA - god forbid

someone expresses an opinion which is not felt by the majority (part of

being an individual) or asks a question which may have been asked or

answered somewhere in another thread and you immediately jump on your high

horse. The only thing that is true about being on a high horse is that you

will get more injured on your way down from it. So do not even tell me what

I do and do not appreciate or what I should have or should have not

purchased. Hmm, a phone costs me $650+ plus tax, yup sounds like a steal

over the other alternatives priced at $99 or $149 or other. Also to say

that stock ROMs and OTAs are the antithesis of the developer

world.....where the heck do you think some ROMs come from....they are based

on stock ROMs. Also, if they pushed an OTA to a developer phone, you would

hope it wouldn't be the same OTA pushed to the retail version but rather

catered for the Developer Edition which would leave the phone in an

unlocked boot loader state. That is my point of the original post. Not to

be pushed the consumer OTA but rather one specifically for the Developer

Device.

>> Personal comments removed <<

Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

erictheredviking

>>Vulgar comment removed to comply with the Verizon Wireless Terms of Service

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Message was edited by: Verizon Moderator

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