Samsung Galaxy S3 update: Specs of the Samsung Galaxy S3’s global edition is not getting the Android 4.4 KitKat update, with the company saying that the unit will not “effectively support the platform upgrade.” But a new Samsung Galaxy S3 variant it seems has the Android 4.4.2 KitKat out of the box.

According to Android Geeks, a new smartphone called Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo was launched in with the exact same look of the S3. It’s currently not available for purchase but should hit stores soon and has the Android 4.4.2 KitKat installed.

The earlier report on the lack of an official S3 update came from SamMobile who reached out to the South Korean tech giant to confirm if the unavailability of a KitKat update is true. Samsung said that since Samsung Galaxy S3’s international variant and Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini’s specs are not capable of running KitKat smoothly, it won’t get the update. The official response below from Samsung U.K. sent to SamMobile noted that the handsets’ will not “effectively support platform upgrade.”

“In order to facilitate an effective upgrade on the Google platform, various hardware performances such as the memory (RAM, ROM, etc.), multi-tasking capabilities, and display must meet certain technical expectations. The Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions come equipped with 1GB RAM, which does not allow them to effectively support the platform upgrade. As a result of the Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions’ hardware limitation, they cannot effectively support the platform upgrade while continuing to provide the best consumer experience. Samsung has decided not to roll-out the KitKat upgrade to Galaxy S3 and S3 mini 3G versions, and the KitKat upgrade will be available to the Galaxy S3 LTE version as the device’s 2GB RAM is enough to support the platform upgrade.” – Samsung Mobile UK

According to SamMobile, the response from the Samsung confirmed fears that RAM would be the deciding factor if the Android units will be getting an update or not.

Android KitKat does support 512MB RAM for devices and it’s already running on some Android handsets with that much RAM. The issue lies in the fact that Android KitKat is able to run within those constraints but only if the phone is on stock Android and does not have any added features or bloatware that Samsung and other Non-Nexus devices offer.

Since the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S3 will not receive the Android 4.4 KitKat update many expects, it means that the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is the last official update for the handsets. The Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo would seemingly do for the S3 what the S2 Plus did for the S2.