Samsung first announced Android Jelly Bean 4.1 would arrive on Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphones at the announcement of Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Later the company released a chart showing the update process for U.S. carriers, though Korean customers now have the update.

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South Korean Galaxy S3 users are getting the update, following European customers. Samsung's Korean website states users can update via Samsung Kies, though over-the-air updating is not confirmed. Smart rotation and camera improvements are features included in the update, with user interface changes probably less apparent due to Touchwiz UI on Samsung's devices. Google's Nexus 7 is the only way to get a stock Android smartphone experience. 

The update requires 100MB of free space, so it is a sizeable download. Jelly Bean is the latest major version of Android and is a refinement of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich; headline features include Google Now, the real-time updating service that runs in the background and includes a persistent microphone icon for voice search, providing pictures accompany a Google search.

Apps are not optimized for Jelly Bean, according to the update page, seemingly referring to Samsung's apps though it is not made clear. Precautions include background wallpapers potentially changing, reshuffling icon positions, and user data perhaps changing. As with every update, users are advised to backup data before proceeding. A conversation with iOS users revealed users are wary of updating if data is lost, especially if a device is all-media-consuming.

Whether similar update notes will accompany the U.S. update, when it releases, is unknown. Samsung's Galaxy S3 is predicted to sell 15 million units this quarter, so updating the device to the most recent version of Android is needed. Jelly Bean also needs Galaxy S3s, with the operating system installed on under two percent of devices. Updates notes are not available for Samsung Galaxy S2, also getting Jelly Bean if reports are true.

If users cannot wait for the update, then unofficial means are available. Though again, users are to blame if problems occur.

Samsung Galaxy S3 launched May 29.

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