AT&T Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 finally gets Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update

AT&T and Samsung finally rolled out the long-awaited Android 4.1.2 update for the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 LTE model on Thursday, June 27.

The 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 launched last November with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) on board, and was left waiting for an update to Jelly Bean ever since. The big day is finally here and the update to Android 4.1.2 is now available either through Samsung Kies or as an over-the-air (OTA) update.

Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean for the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 comes as a major update from the previous ICS build and it seems long overdue. This is the first time the 10.1-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 will get a major overhaul of its interface, as well as the neat new features Jelly Bean brings to the table.

The Google Nexus 7 tablet, for instance, officially got a taste of Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean a year ago, yet AT&T and Samsung kept stalling until now to get the build, which is not even the latest version of Android anymore. The Nexus 7 already got Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean in the meantime and it's currently waiting for the upcoming Android 4.3 update.

AT&T and Samsung didn't exactly sell countless Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablets particularly due to the outdated version of Android. While the tablet is quite powerful and appealing, many preferred to get a cheaper Nexus device and be the first to enjoy the latest OS updates.

To get the new Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update (I497UCUAMF2) via Samsung Kies, simply connect the AT&T Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 LTE (SGH-I497) to a computer, fire up the Samsung Kies software and follow the on-screen instructions. To get it as an OTA update, go through Settings > About Device > Software update > Update Firmware. Click the Install Update button to confirm the installation and wait until all files are downloaded. To reduce the amount of time it takes for the OTA update to download and install, it may be a good idea to use a fast, stable Wi-Fi connection.