Android 4.4.2 KitKat Update: Google Play Editions Of Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC One Get OTA [Download Link]

The Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Play edition of Samsung’s (KRX:005935) Galaxy S4 began receiving the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat firmware update on Saturday, following a similar release for the HTC (TPE:2498) One on Friday.

The new KitKat update for the Galaxy S4 Google Play Edition with the model number GT-I9505G clocks in at 57.4 MB. The update comes as an incremental over-the-air update, taking the firmware to the version KOT49H.S0001.131204.

The Android 4.4.2 brings significant fixes to the platform and security enhancements over Android 4.4, including a remedy for a critical SMS hack that was present on KitKat. Here is a video from XDA Developers, which provides a detailed look at the updates and compares them to the original Android 4.4 KitKat firmware release.

For those users who haven’t received the new update yet, it is recommended to do a manual check from the Settings > About phone > System updates menu.

When the first Android 4.4 KitKat OTA released, many users noticed that HSPA/HSPA+ connections were being displayed as "3G" in the signal indicator rather than "H" as it had in the Android 4.2.2 and 4.3 builds. According to Android Police, the new 4.4.2 update fixes the issue and the signal indicator now correctly shows "H" as it should.

Although the new firmware is rolling out in phases, users can still get the update early by downloading the OTA directly from Google’s servers and flash it manually. Users can also get the firmware from AndroidFileHost, where it is available as a mirrored version, thanks to XDA Developers Forum member Danvdh.

On Friday, the Google Play edition of the HTC One also received the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat update. The company also released the kernel source code for the update, as well as proprietary framework files for the handset.

Those who want to start building Android 4.4.2 from source for the HTC One should visit the HTCDev Devcenter. To download the OTA update, click here.