It’s the day after the Google I/O event, and all Android enthusiasts are reading up on the latest 4.5 L features. There ‘re lots to be befuddled about for owners of this tablet. It’s hard not to feel sorry for owners of the Nexus 7 2013 LTE tablet which have been left in the dark in regards to KitKat updates since Android 4.4.2. We are happy to announce that finally Android 4.4.3 is available as binaries and factory images so you guys can join in on the fun too. Just don’t look over to your sister tablet (the 2013 without the LTE) because I just finished writing a guide on how they can manually update to 4.4.4 Kitkat that means they are well into seeing that software version by now.
The binaries and factory images are different to updating with the standard manual method because these comes before the OTA release and not after it. That means we are certain there is nobody seeing this update come in over the air just yet although we are sure it won’t be long until they finally do.
It’s easy to get confused with the finer details between firmware builds when we cover them all day long for different devices. The one in question today didn’t do much to improve the already cool looking UI with white status bar, full screen album art on the lock screen, immersive mode, cloud printing, Emoji keyboard and more. However, it did add some additional bits and pieces including stability improvements, photo enhancements that focus on creating better image quality and pause video recording. If you like sport, are active, or use the camera and video a lot then these upgrades will be a welcomed addition.
If you want to pause for the OTA update that is understandable. Everyone can keep checking to see if it is available by navigating to Settings > About phone > System updates > Check now and waiting if it says it’s there or not. It will come in as system notification for the most part anyhow so it will automatically alert you when it comes in and is ready for installation.
If you want to skip this completely and wait for Android 4.4.4, there is no word on when it will be available but we know it came out in quick succession between this build and that build.
The one downside with the factory image is that you must restore the original factory settings. If your data doesn’t have a backup saved up then, it will prove detrimental because it will be wiped and lost forever. There’s plenty of ways around this including backup up the data to the internal memory. You also have the chance to use Google Drive is a cloud storage service that donates 15 GB of free space after you sign up. Backup the SMS and MMS texts, call logs, market apps, contacts, photos, videos, music and anything else you need. Moreover, users can just sync the contacts to the Google account. If anyone has trouble backing up the apps try using an application called Helium available from the Google Play Store.
Download the binaries here and factory image here.