Samsung names US carriers getting Galaxy S3 Jelly Bean update

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Jelly Bean will make the Galaxy S3 even more delicious

Samsung Galaxy S3 users have been eagerly awaiting the Android 4.1: Jelly Bean update for their devices since the S3 launched over the summer, and now Samsung's finally dropped a hint as to when it might arrive.

A FAQ page over on Samsung's official site that asks, "Will my Samsung device receive an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean?" was recently updated to include info for the S3.

That info - "coming soon!" - is admittedly quite vague, but at least it's something.

Which carriers will get JB on the S3?

Samsung's list also reveals which carriers' versions of the Galaxy S3 will receive the Jelly Bean update when it finally arrives.

Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and U.S. Cellular will all roll out the update, though it's unknown whether they'll do it at the same time.

TechRadar has reached out to Samsung to find out whether "coming soon" means next week or simply by the end of the year, but the company has yet to respond.

However, we'll update this story if and when we receive information from them.

What does Jelly Bean bring to the table?

The Jelly Bean update began rolling out to Samsung's Galaxy S3 in late September, but only in Poland and other European countries.

At the time, Samsung promised that the newer Android OS was "gradually being introduced to other markets," and it appears the U.S. could be next.

Reports have indicated that the Jelly Bean update will grant the Galaxy S3 improved battery life and smoother operation overall, in addition to the new settings menu and notifications bar and the Siri competitor Google Now.

Hopefully U.S. owners won't have to wait much longer to take advantage of these features.

Via Androidguys, Samsung

Michael Rougeau

Michael Rougeau is a former freelance news writer for TechRadar. Studying at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Northeastern University, Michael has bylines at Kotaku, 1UP, G4, Complex Magazine, Digital Trends, GamesRadar, GameSpot, IFC, Animal New York, @Gamer, Inside the Magic, Comic Book Resources, Zap2It, TabTimes, GameZone, Cheat Code Central, Gameshark, Gameranx, The Industry, Debonair Mag, Kombo, and others.


Micheal also spent time as the Games Editor for Playboy.com, and was the managing editor at GameSpot before becoming an Animal Care Manager for Wags and Walks.