Upgrading from KitKat

[Boris]

My AT&T Galaxy S3 has been running KitKat 4.4.2 forever. It originally ran Jelly Bean, and auto-updated years ago.

The touch routine for udating is:

Settings>More>Application Manager>About Device>Software update>Check for updates

I have not gone so far as to Check for updates, because I don't know it I'd be forced to do an update at that point, and if so, to what version would the phone be updated? Lollipop? Marshmallow? Nougat? Oreo? Or would the update process only offer the newest update compatible with this old phone?

TIA

[Boris]

Obviously the wrong NG. Sorry.

[trader_4]

You could try it, it will prompt you again if an update is available. I thi nk you will find that if there is anything available it's going to be an ol d security update, not a newer os. In my experience android manufacturers don't do upgrades to future os, an exception might be a higher end phone wh ere the new os comes out soon after the phone release. Otherwise, they want you to buy a new phone.

[Boris]

trader_4 wrote in news:0d2a2985-a977-4d4e-8f64- [e-mail]:

think you will find that if there is anything available it's going to be an old security update, not a newer os. In my experience android manufacturers don't do upgrades to future os, an exception might be a higher end phone where the new os comes out soon after the phone release. Otherwise, they want you to buy a new phone.

I am finding that you are exactly right.

I do get requests for a security update, but it's in my notificaton panel each time I reboot. I dismiss it.

I just hit Check for Updates, and it says I am up to date, per the AT&T server.

Yes, they want me to buy a new phone. I've been eligible for 'upgrade' for years, but I just don't need to. I don't want to get into a contract, or pay retail just for more emojis.

[trader_4]

If t-mobile has good coverage in your area, check out Mint Sim. I just swi tched, they have the lowest rated I've seen. I'm paying 12.50 a month fo r 6 months, 10gb data. After that is 25 a month. In any case, forget abo ut contract phones, go prepaid.

[Dean Hoffman]

I can't answer your question. There are several prepaid services with data plans or just pay per minute. It might be worthwhile looking into one of those. I use pageplus. It works on Verizon's network. Pageplus used to have a list of compatible phones. I haven't looked lately. (Ebay)

[My 2 Cents]

A neighbor gave me her old ATT prepaid smart phone and I wiped it that's when I found out android 5 and up has something called FPR .. factory reset protection... two weeks later I finally got it working. The big question in my mind is change from an old clamshell easy to carry in my pocket or deal with a smart phone. I like playing with the apps on the smart phone off line maps, Torque tells me what the car is doing. Anyway, beware of FRP with the used phones, it's a bitch to get around. Read the manual before wiping the data.

[trader_4]

Yes, that is a problem and Google doesn't warn you about it either. When you go to do a factory reset it should ask you if you're going to be transfering the phone to someone else. If so, you need to delete the Google accounts on the phone first. That takes off the Google locking. You see phones being sold on ebay all the time that are Google locked. I don't know if anyone can use them for more than parts, because to unlock it you need the Google account info.