The Galaxy S4 event has come and gone now, leaving Galaxy S3 and Note 2 owners with an important question regarding all those shiny new features Samsung put on display: Will the Galaxy S3 and Note 2 be left in the dust, or will Samsung deliver some of these new capabilities to those phones?
Up until this point, Samsung has done an admirable job keeping its Galaxy series up to date. The Galaxy S3 has seen regular Android upgrades make it out to its users, and even the S2 has gotten Jelly Bean updates (albeit it took awhile).
It looks like the trend will continue with the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 as well. When asked if any S4 features will work their way into the S3 via future updates, Samsung's Vice President of Portfolio Planning Nick DiCarlo basically said yes.
"Anything that we can do that's not dependent on hardware like infrared, we'll definitely bring to all the flagship devices," he said to PC Mag.
Essentially, DiCarlo is saying that some S4 features, likely those involving the camera and eye-tracking, will be installed on the Galaxy S3 and other flagship phones like the Note 2 in the future. Other capabilities that require the S4's more advanced hardware, however, won't be making the cut.
For example, the Galaxy S4's "Air View" feature requires the built-in capabilities of the device itself, so it's unlikely that it will come to the S3. The smart TV remote app, which needs a built-in IR blaster, and the S Health fitness tracker, which requires the use of a built-in pedometer, are also probably not making their way to an S3 or Note 2 at any time.
Still, the good news is that some features will be made available. And since DiCarlo said Samsung would bring these features to "all the flagship devices," there's a good chance that in addition to the S3, the Note 2 (and possibly more?) will get the updates as well.
