14 DAY TRIAL // If you’re the owner of a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, you’re probably familiar with the information according to which the Android 5.0 Lollipop update will officially arrive on your device in early 2015.
What that means exactly, we’re not so sure, but in theory the new build should reach you until March 2015 at the latest.
Anyway, a few days ago we told you one lucky Galaxy Note 3 owner in Vietnam managed to get his hands on an Android 5.0 ROM thanks to an error on a website indexing updates for Samsung devices.
Lollipop ROM for Samsung Galaxy Note 3 available for download
The story seemed quite shady, but the screenshots seemed real enough. And now the thread covering this particular topic on the xda-developers forum is offering a download link and full instructions on how to get the Lollipop ROM on top of your device.
So it appears we’re faced with the real deal. However, take into consideration that the leaked firmware is only available for the SM-N900 version of the Galaxy Note 3, which is the version powered by Samsung’s own Exynos platform.
So if you own the Qualcomm Snapdragon version, you should abstain yourself from trying anything with this particular piece of firmware.
The Lollipop ROM is currently in beta, so don’t expect everything to run smoothly, as you’ll most likely encounter some bugs and issues.
As you can see in the screenshots attached below, the firmware brings along a white background which doesn’t seem to be the greatest choice. That’s because of the Super AMOLED display that we have onboard, which might end up drawing more power than it’s advised.
Hopefully, users who have installed the ROM will be able to live with this, until Samsung rolls out the official OTA update for their devices.
The ROM is functional but problematic
According to the feedback posted by community members, installing the ROM will bring about a series of issues. Nevertheless, for better or for worse the build appears to be functional.
However, if you’re dying to get a taste of Lollipop, you can give the custom ROM a try. B be warned that the installation process will require you to have a certain known-how, so if you’re a beginner to the world of Android tweaking, we suggest you wait for the official build.
As for the Snapdragon-equipped variant Galaxy Note 3, we haven’t heard anything Lollipop-wise. However, given the Exynos custom ROM has leaked online, the SM-N9005 (Snapdragon) might soon follow.
