Android 4.4 KitKat Update: Samsung Galaxy S3 Gets OmniROM Build As Nexus 5 And Other Devices Get CyanogenMod 11

Here is some good news for owners of the Samsung (KRX:005935) Galaxy S3 and Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Nexus 5: Both the handsets got their custom ROMs -- OmniROM and CyanogenMod 11, respectively -- based on Android 4.4 KitKat, on Friday.

A number of high-end devices have been receiving Android 4.4 KitKat custom ROMs over the past few days, and one of the most recent is the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 with the model number GT-I9300.

The former flagship handset from the South Korean tech giant, which recently received the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean official firmware update, now has a highly functional build of Android 4.4 KitKat-based OmniROM custom ROM, thanks to XDA Developers members XpLoDWilD, Entropy512, and Rebellos.

According to a report from XDA Developers, although the custom ROMs are currently available, there are still labeled as test builds, suggesting that the developers are still working on them.

Here is what the report said about certain issues:

Essentially, the only known problems at this time involve video playback and camera functionality. Those functions work, but they’re not quite optimal as of yet. It is also important to note that you must be using the correct recovery for this to work. If you are not using CWM Touch 6.0.3.2 (or newer) or the latest TWRP, you will likely have a metadata error when flashing.

You can download OmniROM 4.4 builds for the Samsung Galaxy S3 GT-I9300 from here. For more information on flashing instructions, click here.

Meanwhile, CyanogenMod 11 custom ROMs have also started popping up for a number of Android devices, including the latest Nexus 5, Nexus 10 and Samsung Galaxy S4 (GT-I9505).

Users should note that International Business Times is not encouraging them to install custom ROMs on their devices. IBT is not responsible for whatever happens while flashing the ROMs, so users proceed at their own risk.

Before trying out the custom ROMs, users should ensure that they have proper backups for their data.

Here are the CyanogenMod 11 download links for the aforesaid devices, along with the links to the instruction pages on the XDA Developers forums:

- Nexus 5 [Instructions]

- Nexus 10 [Instructions]

- HTC One [Instructions]

- Nexus 4 [Instructions]

- Galaxy S4 (I9505) [Instructions]

- Galaxy Note [Instructions]

- Galaxy S3 (International) [Instructions]

- HTC EVO 4G LTE [Instructions]