@jonstrong When you refer to the "manual install of the OTA", are you referring to the KK upgrade that I can get using the Upgrade Assistant (~2GB)? I'm trying to decide whether to upgrade using the VZW OTA method (~700MB) or not and which method would be more advantageous. I don't intend to root or flash any roms to it.
TIA.
If you're 100% sure you won't be rooting (or flashing), then the official VzW OTA method should be fine, and you can also rest assured that it and your phone remain 100% covered by VzW should you run into any issues.
I chose to do the "manual install" of the OTA as documented and described by
@xdabbeb in the thread linked in the OP of this thread:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2699123
As far as anyone has determined, you wind up with the exact same version of KitKat either way. I chose xdabbeb's method, because I had already rooted my G2 (vs980), and although I'm not planning to use custom ROMs at the moment, I wanted to retain root. Finally - the version that
@xdabbeb describes was ready several days before VzW started allowing customers to do an official update to KitKat, and I was impatient!
As many times as I've unlocked, rooted and flashed prior phones, I actually like the stock G2 for the most part. It's fast, smooth and incredibly functional. Rooting it allowed me to install the Xposed Framework, and my favorite module for Xposed, "G2 TweaksBox". Without having to worry about a custom ROM, I get all the benefit of the stock ROM, and then get to tweak navbar, status bar, lock screen and other parts of the system -- and if I change my mind, I can deactivate the module or the entire Xposed Framework, and be 100% stock again after a single reboot. Brilliant!
Back to your question: if you are sure you want a pure stock experience, then the official VzW OTA is the simplest way to go, and you'll get the same KitKat either way.
