Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Problems Bring Out Pitchforks

Samsung and its carriers in the United States still aren't talking about solutions for Android 4.3 Jelly Bean problems plaguing Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2, and Galaxy Note 3 users and the frustration surrounding the situation has led some to sign a petition, refuse the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update and give up their phone altogether.

In October and November, carriers in the United States, and elsewhere, started rolling out Android 4.3 Jelly Bean updates for the Galaxy S4, Galaxy S3, and Galaxy Note 2. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launched with Android 4.3 in September and in early October.

The Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update delivered Galaxy Gear support and Samsung KNOX to owners of the Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2 and owners of the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 were treated to features from the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3 respectively. The updates, as we have pointed out twice before, also brought some issues along with them.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean roll outs in the United States were marred by issues. AT&T and U.S. Cellular were forced to pull the upgrades due to problems with the software and almost immediately after the updates rolled out, we started hearing from Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 owners in particular.

We have detailed many of the lingering problems affecting Galaxy owners including Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 battery life and connectivity issues as well as a major issue with the GPS on board the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Note 3. These problems continue to linger and they are frustrating owners to no end.

Over the past few days, we've heard from a number of Galaxy device owners who have relayed their issues with the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update. The issues remain the same but the frustration with Samsung and these updates continues to grow.

One Verizon Galaxy S3 owner told Gotta Be Mobile that the widespread issues have convinced her to hold off on installing the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update. "I have been manually postponing the pushed update, for nearly two weeks now," she said.

Instead, she says that she's simply going to stay on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and wait for Android 4.4 KitKat to arrive. Android 4.4 KitKat is rumored for March though American carriers will surely be weeks behind that. Others are looking for ways to go back to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean though there is no official way of doing that.

We've seen other users say that they are simply going to abandon their device. One user on Android Central's forums says that the "update has been a complete pain and that he is "getting rid of this gs3 tonight, was a fun run." This echoes some of the comments we've seen in our own comments sections and in other forums on the web.

Users are so frustrated with the issues, and lack of communication from Samsung, that they have started a petition imploring the company to fix the issues that continue to plague their devices. Sadly these petitions, more often then not, fall on deaf ears. The fact that users even have to start a petition shows just how desperate some owners have gotten.

Historically, Samsung has stayed silent on potential bug fixes and American carriers have generally followed suit so users are likely going to remain in the dark for the foreseeable future and in the buildup to Android 4.4 KitKat. Major Android updates typically bring major bug fixes along with them so it's possible that many of the issues plaguing Galaxy S3, Galaxy S4, Galaxy Note 2, and Galaxy Note 3 owners will get fixed when it arrives. Owners just shouldn't expect to know for sure ahead of time.

For now, users are will need to depend on the Android community for temporary fixes. Galaxy S3 users experiencing Wi-Fi problems will want to try these fixes, and Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S3 users experiencing battery life issues will want to consult our tips.

Those who have tried everything may want to consider performing a hard reset on the phone. Often times, a hard reset will dislodge at least some of the issues though it's not going to work for everyone.