Samsung Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean Update Now Available Mostly in Europe
Samsung Galaxy S3 handsets with Android Jelly Bean update started to roll out in the tech market.
In the latest news, United Kingdom's Vodafone and O2-branded Samsung Galaxy S3 handsets will receive Android Jelly Bean today, ahead of unlocked SIM-free variants.
For Galaxy S3 owners in certain parts around world, however, Jelly Bean is already out. Website YouMobile keeps an updated list of which country has already received Jelly Bean and who hasn't. So far 10 countries are listed has having received the Galaxy S3 Jean update: Austria, France, Italy, Korea, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
In Australia, Telstra offered a Galaxy S3 with Jelly Bean on top. The handset, launching on October 9, will be available in Titanium Gray and Onyx Black. Pricing starts at $144 for the handset.
For those the United States, you are going to see Jelly Bean last. Samsung recently sent out a press release with the statement "in the coming months" as the only mention of a date. Previous to that, the Samsung US update page simply reads "Coming Soon!"
This is because Samsung is still busy rolling out the upgrade to international markets, and the U.S. version will be last since the U.S. Galaxy S3 is different than everyone's, and carriers need time to approve and distribute the upgrade. Google develops Android, which has to then be tailored for the Galaxy S3 by both Samsung and the carrier.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is not a major overhaul to its predecessor, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. It includes Google's Project Butter, which enhances the smoothness of the interface, as well as Google Now, Google's own voice assistant.
Samsung stunned everyone when it released its flagship phone last May. Samsung Galaxy S3 quickly rose to the top and pushed over other smartphones at the second quarter of this year. Some of the selling points of the Galaxy S3 are its massive screen, 4G/LTE support, and NFC capability via S-Beam. Samsung Galaxy S3 is currently available in Samsung Stores and through various carriers.