Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.2.2 firmware leaked with Galaxy S4 features

By V-Tech
in Back Page News

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

V-Tech

Posted
Posted

s3-422.jpg

Lock screen widgets, re-vamped settings, driving mode and more

Samsung has a track record of bringing key software features to older phones with major firmware upgrades, and it seems last year's Galaxy S3 is about to see such an update along with Android 4.2.2. Leaked firmware obtained by SamMobile brings the international Galaxy S3 -- the quad-core Exynos-powered GT-i9300 -- up to Android 4.2.2, and adds many features previously reserved for the Galaxy S4.

New features include a familiar array of lock screen widgets and unlock effects, new display modes, a re-tooled quick settings area in the notification pull-down, a new driving mode and an updated version of the S Voice assistant app. Some of the headline Galaxy S4 features like "Air view" hover-touch abilities aren't included -- that's because they're dependent on the S4's internal hardware.

SamMobile has published the new -- and very much pre-release -- firmware version I9300XXUFME3 online, and it comes with all the usual warnings associated with using unfinished software on your phone. In addition, it'll increase your binary counter (the difficult-to-reset counter telling you how many unofficial ROMs you've installed) by one, even though it's marked as an official Samsung firmware.

http://www.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-s3-android-422-firmware-leaked-galaxy-s4-features

Mentor

DeadEndAccount

Posted
Posted
They better address the space issue or this will **** off a lot of S3 users.

The space issue could be easily addressed by Samsung releasing a firmware upgrade without any crapware - it would free up space and it would take a modest installation footprint rather than the multi-gigabyte mess it does now. It basically re-enforces why I would never get an Android device given that almost ever 'premium' phone shipped from Samsung and HTC is chocked to the brim with crapware.

Grand Master

techbeck

Posted
Posted

The space issue could be easily addressed by Samsung releasing a firmware upgrade without any crapware - it would free up space and it would take a modest installation footprint rather than the multi-gigabyte mess it does now. It basically re-enforces why I would never get an Android device given that almost ever 'premium' phone shipped from Samsung and HTC is chocked to the brim with crapware.

What you call crapware is not what a lot of others apparently call it since its their most popular selling device. And never heard of the Nexus line of phones? Pure Android OS with no crapware installed. S

Grand Master

+Nik Louch Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

What you call crapware is not what a lot of others apparently call it since its their most popular selling device.

Old argument resurrected... Yes TouchWiz is considered by some to be great and some to be terrible. But the fact the phones also ship with installed apps that cannot be removed makes them crapware.

Grand Master

techbeck

Posted
Posted

Old argument resurrected... Yes TouchWiz is considered by some to be great and some to be terrible. But the fact the phones also ship with installed apps that cannot be removed makes them crapware.

I was talking about the extra software to go along with the features the SGS4 has...and which causes the space issue. People who use these features would call them crap. There are other apps on Samsungs Galaxy line that are junk and different from the features they added in the new SGS4.

Mentor

DeadEndAccount

Posted
Posted
What you call crapware is not what a lot of others apparently call it since its their most popular selling device. And never heard of the Nexus line of phones? Pure Android OS with no crapware installed. S

1) 'Drop box' and other crapware isn't valuable or useful by any stretch of the imagination - they aren't a selling point or a strength but merely a way for Samsung to milk even more money from its customers from an already premium high margin device.

2) Customers buy what ever is shoved in front of their face by a sales rep or what their friends have - it occurred with iPhone so don't some how think that Galaxy is any different. Most people buy iPhone because it is the 'in thing' just as people buy Galaxy's because it is the 'in thing'.

3) Nexus line is not available globally - don't assume that the whole world revolves around the United States and a small handful of countries that Google decides to serve.

4) The applications aren't the features but bundled applications from third parties - there is absolutely no value to the customer by refusing to allow them to uninstall it - it is nothing more than a money grab at the customers expense (see lack of free space).

Mentor

daniel_rh

Posted
Posted

I installed this yesterday and I must say I don't like it, it's slow compared to the modified ROM I had before with the 4.2.1... I guess I have to wait until a more optimized ROM is released or the official one

Grand Master

techbeck

Posted
Posted

1) 'Drop box' and other crapware isn't valuable or useful by any stretch of the imagination - they aren't a selling point or a strength but merely a way for Samsung to milk even more money from its customers from an already premium high margin device.

That junk software isnt what is taking up all the space tho. It is the software that comes with the SGS4 and their new features that is doing it.

2) Customers buy what ever is shoved in front of their face by a sales rep or what their friends have - it occurred with iPhone so don't some how think that Galaxy is any different. Most people buy iPhone because it is the 'in thing' just as people buy Galaxy's because it is the 'in thing'.

True, but that is the customers fault for not asking the right questions or researching on their own. Info is freely available online and reviews often come out before the product does. If the customer is confused at what the sales person is telling them, then that should be a clue to hold off and think about it.

4) The applications aren't the features but bundled applications from third parties - there is absolutely no value to the customer by refusing to allow them to uninstall it - it is nothing more than a money grab at the customers expense (see lack of free space).

Again, the problem with the SGS4, which I was commenting about and what the OP was about (and the SGS3) is the problem. Its the software that is on the SGS4 that Samsung put out with their new features. 3rd party apps isnt causing the huge space problem. The SGS3 didnt have space issues and neither did the SGS2.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Google reportedly limited Meta's Gemini access over limited AI compute

      By Karthik Mudaliar · Posted

      Google reportedly limited Meta's Gemini access over limited AI compute by Karthik Mudaliar Google is reportedly limiting Meta's use of its Gemini AI models after Meta tried buying more computing capacity than even Google could supply. According to the Financial Times, Google told Meta in March that it could not provide the full Gemini capacity that Meta had requested. This shortfall even disrupted and delayed some of Meta's internal projects. Due to this, Meta even told its employees internally to use AI tokens more efficiently. Meta wasn't the only one to get hit by this sudden refusal by Google; even other customers were affected. But Meta was hit harder because of its unusually high demand for Google's models. The move from Google makes it evident that companies all over are in limited supply of both infrastructure and compute. Alphabet said in April that Google Cloud revenue grew 63% year-over-year to $20 billion in the first quarter, helped by enterprise AI infrastructure and AI solutions. In pursuit of more compute, Meta had earlier signed a multi-billion-dollar AWS agreement as well as a large AMD GPU deal for AI data centers. But the crunch would be short-lived as both Meta and Google have also ramped up infrastructure investments heavily. Meta said in November that it was committing more than $600 billion in the U.S. by 2028 for AI technology, infrastructure, and workforce expansion. In the first quarter of this year, Meta also raised its expected capital expenditure for 2026 to a range of $125 billion to $145 billion, citing higher component pricing and additional data center costs for future capacity. However, this doesn't make the company immune to the current dependence on outside suppliers. Meta has also spent many years promoting Llama as an open-weight alternative to closed models from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. But if the reported reliance on Google's Gemini models is severe enough for internal work to get impacted, then it looks like even frontier labs and Big Tech aren't fully self-sufficient. Source: Financial Times
    • Samsung, Amazon extend 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD deal beyond Prime Day 2026

      By seeprime · Posted

      I like to reminisce about the good old days, way back in autumn 2025 when building a gaming machine was fun and the drives were about $150 when you caught a deal. Yes duh, back in the day we had it gone. Then baby Skynet came along, hiding in AI datacenters demanding more processing power until it reached singularity. End of a not totally fictional story.
    • Bypassed Windows 11 shows surprising stability on ancient, completely unsupported hardware

      By +Spark99 · Posted

      My experience in the past with older Windows 11 builds was not great on unsupported machines but I recently used Rufus to put the latest build on a older 5th Gen Core Thinkpad T that we upgraded with a SATA SSD and 8GB of RAM four years ago when hardware was reasonable and it seemed pretty fast and solid. Customer is very happy with the performance and will probably get four more years out of that venerable laptop that he loves so much. Another customer just retired his Dell Studio laptop from 2009 running Windows 10. It got an SSD over 10 years ago and did everything he needed it to for 17 years but he also retired last year and is happy doing everything on his iPad now.
    • Apple's newest AirTag 2 gets first big discount

      By TarasBuria · Posted

      Apple's newest AirTag 2 gets first big discount by Taras Buria In late January 2026, Apple introduced its second-generation AirTag trackers, bringing a refresh to the old model that has been on the market for half a decade. Now, you can get these new trackers at an all-time low price, thanks to the first big discount that brought the price down by 17% on Amazon. While the second-generation AirTag looks identical to its predecessor, it packs meaningful upgrades inside. The second-gen ultrawideband chip works 50% farther than the original AirTag, allowing you to detect lost items in a wider range. In addition, the second-generation AirTag features an upgraded Bluetooth chip for extended range and a significantly louder speaker (up to 50%) so that you can hear it better when locating a lost item. Note that the second-gen AirTag only works with iPhones and iPads that run iOS/iPadOS 26 and newer, so you need a compatible device to use the tracker. Like the original AirTag, the AirTag 2 is available in two packs: one and four pieces. Both are now available at a notable discount on Amazon, and you can purchase them using the links below. Apple AirTag 2 tracker - $24 | 17% off on Amazon Apple AirTag 2 tracker (four-pack) - $89 | 10% off on Amazon Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S.- specific and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Tidal won't monetize AI slop music, company says

      By monterxz · Posted

      I've been on Deezer for over a decade, but glad that Tidal joined them in fighting AI slop. Can't stand such takes as Spotify's: "Spotify's CEO recently pushed back against listeners who call AI music "slop," urging people to stop using the term and instead embrace the creative potential of AI music."

  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      536
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      266
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      150
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!