Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE units started receiving the long overdue Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update.

They say that it is better late than never. The LTE variant of Samsung Galaxy S3 finally received the 4.3 Jelly Bean update despite other Android devices already upgrading to the Android 4.4 Kitkat OS. Users of the units have long waited for the update since the device is actually still running Android 4.1.2 and Samsung decided to skip the Android 4.2.2 update.

Samsung has been unpredictable when it comes to its software updates. Samsung rolled out the 4.3 Jelly Bean update to the LTE and non-LTE variants of Galaxy Note 2 at the same time. However, Samsung Galaxy S3 variants do not share the same fate. The non-LTE variant of Samsung Galaxy S3 first received the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update in the first week of November.

However, the roll out was temporarily suspended due to the serious issues and problems with the firmware update. However, Samsung resumed the update service for the Galaxy S3 a few days ago. Many users hoped that the firmware will be stable this time and will not face the same issues like before.

The 4.3 Jelly Bean update is being rolled out in phases. Thus, it may not yet be available in your country right now. Make sure to always check the notifications of your handset. If your device is from a carrier then there might be some delay as it needs to be improved by the network first before roll out.

Users can expect changes on the handset like the update has completely changed the core UI to the one found on the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3. Unfortunately, Samsung is still using the old TouchWiz launcher and widgets from Android 4.1.2. Below are some of the changes that come with the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update:

- GALAXY GEAR Support

- TRIM Support (Makes the device much faster)

- Core UI elements updated to the ones on the Galaxy S4 (Galaxy S4′s theme all over)

- New Samsung Keyboard

- GPU drivers have been updated (Higher GPU benchmark scores)

- New Lockscreen: Multiple Widgets, improved ripple effect than Android 4.1.2, ability to change clock size and set a personal message

- New Screen modes (From S4): Adapt Display and Professional Photo

- Daydream

- KNOX included

- Driving mode

- Actionable notifications

- Move-to-SD-card feature

- New Camera mode: Sound and Shot

- New Additions in Notification Centre

- Completely revamped Settings UI (Tabbed interface - Exactly like the Galaxy S4)

- Implementation of Voice controls (Let's you control various parts of the phone using voice commands - Galaxy S4 feature)

- New Samsung Apps: Calculator, Clock, Contacts, Gallery, Music

- Full screen Samsung apps

- New S-Voice (from Galaxy S4)

To update your Galaxy S3 LTE variant to the new Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, connect your device to your computer and use Samsung KIES or simply use Samsung's OTA service. To download and install the firmware via OTA, go to Settings > More > About Device > Software update > Update.