The Samsung Galaxy S III has been receiving the update to android 4.3 since November 2013, reaching many Regions/Countries both via OTA (over the air) and Samsung Kies. If you didn’t get the update till yet and you aren’t willing to wait for it any longer or if you ran into some issues while trying to update your Galaxy S III then you may try the Manual Method listed below. The firmware links to all the countries are provided, so choose yours accordingly. The method holds for both the I9300 and I9305 LTE Galaxy S III so that won’t be a problem.
Official OTA (Over the Air) Update
To download and install the firmware via OTA, go to Settings > About Device > Software update > Update.
Official Update via Samsung Kies
In order to update your Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305 LTE ) via Samsung Kies you need to connect your device via USB cable and then open the Kies application (Will require a PC or Laptop). The update notification will pop-up by itself if your Kies has been updated to the latest version (if not you will have to update Kies first). The software shall then give you a complete guide on updating and backing up your device.
Manual Update for Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305 LTE )
Well if you ran into some issues (Custom ROM/Rooting) or the update isn’t available to you yet or even if you bought the phone from another country and you are looking into manually updating your Samsung Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305 LTE ) to Android 4.3 then this might be the end of your quest, just follow the steps below and you will be there in no time.
1. Downloading the Firmware
Below are the links to download the Android 4.3 firmware for both the GT-I9300 and GT-I9305 variants of Galaxy S III. In order to get the best out of you device I suggest to use a firmware for your country, sadly if update isn’t available for your region yet and you still wish to update then going forward with a United Kingdom (BTU) firmware shall be safe.
- To download Official Android 4.3 firmware for GT-I9300 visit This Link.
- To download Official Android 4.3 firmware for GT-I9305 visit This Link.
2. Using ODIN
The latest version of ODIN can be Downloaded from XDA-Developers if you don’t have it and also download the Samsung drivers if you don’t have Samsung Kies installed on your PC/Laptop. After installing ODIN to desired location on your PC/Laptop open it and window will appear looking like the one below.
The tabs highlighted are the ones that you have to check for. The Auto Reboot and F.Reset Time should be checked and Re-Partition should be unchecked. Now in the PDA tab you must select the Downloaded firmware file (Use WINZIP/WINRAR to extract the file before using and it must be .TAR extension).
Note : In Some cases you get more than One file, if that is the case then you will need to the following steps.
- a) Click the PDA button and select the file with .tar.md5 extension
- b) Click the Phone button and select file with MODEM in its name
- c) Click the CSC button and select file with CSC in its name
- d) Click the PIT button and select .pit file
3. Connecting the Smartphone in Downloading Mode
In order to update the firmware on your Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305 LTE ) you will need to enter the download mode. Go to Settings > Developer Options > Check USB debugging, then turn of your device and Press Volume Down + Home + Power Button all at once till you see a screen as below appear.
Press the Volume Up key to continue and you will enter the Downloading mode on your Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305 LTE ), once the screen (refer to the Second Image) shows connect the phone to the PC/Laptop via USB cable and wait for it show on COM Port in ODIN window (Repeat if unsuccessful), Now press the START button in ODIN. The firmware update should then start and you have to wait for it to complete. Once completed the phone will reboot itself. The Update will now progress in the official manner guiding you through the setup of the Android 4.3 on your Galaxy S III (I9300/I9305 LTE ).
Note : Do take a backup before proceeding as the manual method will wipe all data on your Galaxy S III. Also If your Galaxy S III is stuck on Samsung Logo Screen then you must factory reset it (Hard Reset). To factory reset press Volume Up + Home + Power keys at the same time and refer to the video guide below.
Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t4qc8Fai74
*Tip : Feel free to put any queries you have in the comments section below and we will solve them for you.
