Android 4.4.4 KitKat Arrives for Galaxy S3 I9300 via AOSP NeatROM

Android 4.4.4 KitKat Arrives for Galaxy S3 I9300 via NeatROM Custom ROM

Samsung Galaxy S3 I9300 users can now enjoy a fast and stable release of Android 4.4.4 KitKat, with due credit to release of NeatROM custom firmware by the industrious custom Android developers.

The NeatROM custom ROM brings loads of goodies including new customisation features and settings, apart from a fast, stable and smooth user-interface (UI) experience based on the original AOSP ROM.

Android 4.4.4 AOSP NeatROM Features

Here are a few salient features of the new Android 4.4.4 NeatROM custom ROM:

Firmware: I9300 AOSP NeatROM v6 (4.4.4)
Compiled from the latest SlimKat repos
The Real Dark Slim
Notification drawer Shortcuts
Full hardware key rebinding
Keyboard rotation
Nova Launcher
Superuser
Darker Camera – colour filter options, gps indicator, picture quality, smart capture, shutter sound...
Darker Gallery
Phasebeam LiveWallpaper
Wifi country code
Mediascanner behaviour on boot
Volume key cursor control
Show permanent enter key on keyboard
IME selector notification
Auto keyboard rotation feature
Systemwide blacklist support for calls and sms/mms
Pattern size customizing
Lock before unlock the new way
Lockscreen shortcuts
Fully revamped lockscreen target options
Start widgets maximized on lockscreen
Enable carousel animation on lockscreen
Enable/disable camera widget on lockscreen
Full customizable low battery warning
Wake up on charge
Volume rocker wake
Volume rocker music control
CRT animation the new way with new animation as well
Fully customizable auto brightness
Display rotation options (0, 90, 180, 270)
Fully customizable volume panel
Power connectivity alert
Less frequent notification sounds
Ascending ringtone
Control safe headset warning
Mute Camera shutter sound
Quiet hours new extended version
Mute Volume adjust sound
SlimCenter
Fully global menu customization
Fully revamped navigation bar and navigation ring customizations
Statusbar brightness control
Full Clock and date customization on status bar
Battery icons
Quick settings style options
Quick pulldown for quick settings
Easy full swipe access between notification drawer and quicksettings
Wifi access point is shown in notification drawer
Hide carrier label on notification drawer
Notification drawer shortcuts
Notification transparency
Notification drawer and quicksettings background as well with tablet support
Fully customizable quick settings the new way with new included music tiles and features
Battery tile new click/longpress behaviour
Allow to disable QuickSettings completly
Option in Dev Set to customize the device hostname
SystemUI – double tap to sleep gesture
IPV6 tethering support
Allow applications to override power key
DeskClock – back flip and shake actions
Navigation bar
Global menu – Expanded desktop
Added CPU & RAM info
Wakeup Options
Enable/Disable Root (Enabled by default)
Fixed StatusBar Back Button
Es File Explorer
NeatROM Bootanimation (Credit: @momo.martinovic)
Init.d Support
Added support for ADB over network
Disabled charging LED
Fully Customizable Hardware Buttons
Disable/Enable Menu Key Unlock
Better Battery Life
Added Battery Animation while Charging
Noise suppression for phone calls
Browser-Enabled Bookmarks Sync
No Call Ring delay ~0ms
Fixed Custom Toggle
Browser-Blue Progress Bar Thanks @tarzan11
Added SlimPie
Added Download Speeds in notification
SlimKat Stable
New Dialer – Bigger Caller Photo
Install Non-Market Apps Enabled by Default
Package Verifier Disabled by Default
Custom LED Charging Menu
Notification Reminder
Smart pull down
Slim recents app switcher
Option to add favorite apps in recents menu
Lockscreen rotation
Traffic meter
Battery Bar Toggle (StatusBar, Top of Navigation Bar or Bottom of Navigation Bar
Battery Bar Charging Animation
Implement SIM card management
Fixed Camera v6
exFAT support

Head over to the official developer source page (check source link below) to learn more about the features ported to Android 4.4.4 NeatROM custom ROM.

Interested Galaxy S3 I9300 users can go ahead and download Android 4.4.4 KitKat PA custom ROM with stability and performance improvements, using the download links given below:

Android 4.4.4 NeatROM v7.0 for Galaxy S3 I9300

Android 4.4.4 KitKat compatible Google Apps (Stock)

Android 4.4.4 KitKat compatible Google Apps (Full)

IBTimes UK reminds readers that it will not be held liable for any damage to device during or after the NeatROM installation. Users are advised to proceed at their own risk.

Pre-requisites

The NeatROM and the instructions given in this guide are meant for the Galaxy S3 I9300 model only. Verify device model number by navigating to Settings > About Phone/Tablet.
Back up data and settings using a recommended custom recovery tool, like ClockworkMod (CWM) or TWRP, as it creates a complete image of the existing phone setup. In Recovery, choose Backup and Restore and tap Backup.
Verify correct USB drivers for the phone are installed on the computer (download necessary USB drivers from manufacturer's website).
Ensure USB debugging mode is enabled on the device, by navigating to Settings > Developer Options (NOTE: Tap the phone's Build Number seven times to unlock or reveal the hidden Developer Options under Settings.) Then select the checkbox to enable USB debugging mode under Settings > Developer Options.
Make sure the device has at least 80% battery charge to prevent unexpected device shutdown (due to battery drain) while installing the ROM.
Ensure the device is unlocked (not locked to a specific carrier) and rooted with the latest ClockworkMod (CWM) Recovery (v6.0.4.5) installed. If you are installing the CWM recovery for the first time, check out the video tutorial below, courtesy of The Android Soul:

If the device is stuck at booting or experiencing boot loop issues, perform Wipe Cache Partition and Wipe Dalvik Cache a few more times before rebooting.
Allow newly installed ROM to stabilise for five minutes before you start working on it.

Steps to Install Android 4.4.4 KitKat Update on Galaxy S3 I9300 with AOSP NeatROM

Step-1: Download Android 4.4.4 NeatROM for your Galaxy S3 (use download links above) on computer.

Step-2: Download Google Apps package.

Step-3: Connect the Galaxy S3 to computer via USB cable. Without extracting, copy the downloaded firmware zip and Google Apps zip files to the root folder of phone's SD card.

The Android 4.4.4 PA ROM can be installed on your phone using either CWM or TWRP recovery. Follow any method based on the recovery mode installed on your device.

How to Install Android 4.4.4 AOSP NeatROM via ClockworkMod (CWM) Recovery

Power off the device and wait for 5 to 10 seconds until the device shuts down completely.
Now boot the Galaxy S3 into Recovery mode by pressing and holding Volume Up, Home and Power button together until the recovery screen appears. NOTE: In recovery mode, use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select the desired option.
Perform Wipe data/Factory reset (this will delete all apps and their settings and game progress) and choose Yes on next screen to confirm the action. Then perform Wipe Cache Partition and once again hit Yes to confirm.
Return to CWM recovery main menu and select Mounts and Storage> Format / data and click Yes on next screen to confirm.
From the main menu of CWM recovery, go to Advanced and choose Wipe Dalvik Cache. Then hit Yes on next screen to confirm.
Select Install Zip from sdcard and then click Choose zip from sdcard. Browse to the location of the NeatROM firmware file which you copied earlier to your phone's SD card. Choose Yes on next screen to confirm the ROM installation.
Repeat the previous step to install Google Apps as well.
Once Google Apps is also installed, select "+++++Go Back+++++" and reboot the device by tapping reboot system now from the recovery menu. Your Galaxy S3 will restart and it may take about five minutes for first boot. So, do not interrupt the process.

Your Galaxy S3 is now running on Android 4.4.4 KitKat via NeatROM. Go to Settings > About Phone/Tablet to verify the firmware installed.

NOTE: If the device gets stuck at boot loop (while rebooting), then just do a factory reset from recovery mode to fix the issue.

How to Install Android 4.4.4 AOSP NeatROM via TWRP Recovery

Power off the device and wait for 5 to 10 seconds until the device shuts down completely.
Now boot the Galaxy S3 into Recovery mode by pressing and holding Volume Up, Home and Power button together until the recovery screen appears. NOTE: In recovery mode, use Volume keys to navigate between options and Power key to select the desired option.
Perform Wipe data/Factory reset (this will delete all apps and their settings and game progress). To do so, tap on Wipe and scroll down to the bottom of the screen and do a Swipe on "Swipe to factory reset" option.
Now perform a System format by selecting Wipe > Advanced Wipe and then tap on System option. Scroll to the bottom of screen and do a swipe on "Swipe to Wipe" option.
Tap on install and navigate to the NeatROM zip file you copied earlier to your phone's SD card. Scroll to the bottom of screen and do a swipe on Swipe to confirm flash option to begin installing the firmware.
Repeat the previous step to flash Google apps as well.
Once Google Apps is also installed, select reboot and then tap on System to reboot your device. Your Galaxy S3 will restart and it may take about five minutes for first boot to complete. So, do not interrupt the process.