I recently updated my note 3 from factory release firmware to the most current (NC4) like an idiot. Prior, I had five bars of LTE at home and work (around -79DB.) Immediately after the update it starts off as that..then after a moment drops to 3 (around -100db) in my bedroom. Data etc is still fine. Moving around the house nearing my basement it drops to 2bars..then pops back up to five. I believe this is it switching back to LTE-the 700MHZ frequencys and as such the phone starts @ 700 which is why I have 5 bars on start. It would be really nice to have an indicator at the top saying this. As it is we have too little control..it's literally mobile data on or off no inbetween the note 3s radios are self-controlled. In the next update it would be really REALLY nice if we could force 3g, or turn off XLTE. This is NOT just my Note 3 doing this. My wifes Galaxy S5 does the same thing. That said, data works well in both cases. But it bothers me that there is no way to know what band the phone is operating on (unless someone here knows how to see that info without rooting?)
Secondly, this update has ruined the stock text messaging app. Scrolling through text conversations was seamless. Now it's jerky and laggy-particularly if the text contains pictures. This is unacceptable given the CPU/RAM this phone has. Just sloppy coding. Having said that, besides the text messaging app, the phone is slightly more responsive.
I see Verizon is pushing Android 4.4.4 to the Galaxy S5 now? Given that the Note 3 was/is a flagship phone-and less than a year old at that-it can't be long till we get it, can it?
