The Gionee ELife E3 smartphone was stuck on Jelly Bean for way too long and now the company has finally given owners a break by rolling out the Android 4.4 KitKat update. It’s safe to say that the handset might not be eligible for version 5.0 Lollipop considering that it’s over a year old and the OEM isn’t likely to spend resources on an outdated release.
The Gionee ELife E3 was released in June of 2013 as a mid-range phone. Android 4.4 KitKat does give it a breath of new life and also various fresh features. According to the changelog, there will be added support for 9 local Indian languages along with upgraded applications like WeChat, Kingsoft Office and UC Browser amongst others.
What’s more, it doesn’t look like the upgrade for the ELife E3 is being seeded over the air. A post on Gionee India’s official website notes that you’ll have to manually download the firmware and flash it to the handset. The thread has links to acquire the necessary files including the software for updating the smartphone, and drivers as well as instructions.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo and Grand 2 have their prices cut in India
The procedure doesn’t look simple; so make sure you follow the guide properly. Also, the Android 4.4 KitKat update is a pretty huge one at 878MB and flashing it will wipe clean your Elife E3 handset. It’s recommended to make a backup of all your data before updating.
Gionee ELife E3 specs at a glance:
– Display: 4.7-inch 720p HD panel
– Processor: 1.2GHz quad core Cortex A7
– Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB storage, 32GB expandable
– Connectivity: Dual SIM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, HSPA
– Battery: 1800mAh
– Camera: 8MP rear, 2MP front
The entire changelog, guide and download links for the Android 4.4 KitKat update for the Gionee ELife E3 can be found at this link.