Samsung recently deployed the latest version of Android 4.4 KitKat to its Galaxy Note 3 devices and by doing seemed to cause issues with third-party accessories for the device.
Samsung initially denied any speculation that it was the update which caused any problems with the third-party accessories, but have since come clean and admitted that the software is to blame for the broken functionality.
It seems that the latest Android 4.4 KitKat update means that any unofficial Galaxy Note 3 cases similar to the official Samsung S-View Flip Cover no longer work. It’s due to a special chip that apparently is in the S-View Flip Cover which up until now ceased to function.
However, since 4.4 KitKat was deployed, that chip seems to have been enabled which is used to detect the S-View feature allowing a user to view a portion of the screen without opening the flip cover. Obviously the unofficial third-party covers do not have this special chip, so do not function correctly anymore.
Galaxy Note 3 S-View
Samsung issued an official statement a few days ago in which they said that the Android 4.4 KitKat update was not at fault.
“To ensure a pleasant and smooth user experience with Samsung products for our customers, we recommend that only original accessories from Samsung should be used,” a translated version of the statement says. “Of course, customers can continue to rely on third-party accessories. The full functionality of our devices and accessories, however, can only be ensured with genuine Samsung components, since only in this way is it ensured that equipment and accessories are perfectly matched. A correlation between the Android version 4.4 and the supposed incompatibility of third-party accessories does not exist.”
However, Samsung did a complete flip and issued a further statement acknowledging the issue on the Galaxy Note 3 promising a fix to the problem.
“We have currently identified a software compatibility issue with the Galaxy Note 3 update to Android 4.4 (KitKat) and select 3rd party accessories,” Samsung said. “A software update will be available shortly. We are committed to offering a diverse and reliable mobile experience for all customers, providing continued support and solutions for any issues that arise with product updates for both Samsung manufactured and third-party accessories.”
So if you have a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 where the case has ceased to function correctly, there’s your reason. As for a fix, watch this space.