Android 4.4 KitKat Update Coming: New OS Release For Samsung Galaxy S4 US Cellular Variant Tipped For Wednesday

Nearly a week after the Sprint variant of the Samsung (KRX:005935) Galaxy S4 received the new Android 4.4 KitKat firmware update, it seems to be time for the U.S. Cellular (NYSE:USM) variant of the handset to get the new OS as soon as Wednesday.

According to a leaked internal document from U.S. Cellular, obtained by Android Central, the carrier will roll out the Android 4.4 KitKat for the Galaxy S4 (SCH-R970) starting on Feb. 19. Being a staggered rollout, not everyone is expected to receive the over-the-air update on the day it is launched. However, according to U.S. Cellular, all users who meet a certain set of requirements will get the OTA update within 10 days after the official roll out.

Here are the requirements, listed on the ­document:

- Approved software versions MDB/MDL/MF5/MK2 on device.

- Device must be linked to a valid Google account.

- Device must be registered to the Samsung FOTA server.

- Device must have access to Wi-Fi to download the upgrade.­

The internal document also revealed that the Android 4.4 KitKat update would remove the Daily Perks and MobiTiles apps from the platform. If users want to continue using them, they will need to go to the Google Play Store, to download and install the apps.

Users of the U.S. Cellular Galaxy S4 should ensure that their device must be running on the official current version of Android to get the new OS.

The Sprint variant of the Galaxy S4 received the Android 4.4 KitKat update last week, after an internal document leaked online in a similar manner. The update carried the firmware version L720VPUFNAE, which was the same build number carried by the KitKat kernel source that was released by Samsung for the Sprint Galaxy S4 a day earlier.

Meanwhile, release dates for KitKat updates for the AT&T (NYSE:T), T-Mobile (NYSE:TMUS) and Verizon (NYSE:VZ) Galaxy S4 units are still unknown. According to GottaBeMobile, carriers typically release firmware updates within a few weeks of each other, and historically, it has been Verizon that rolls out updates last.