T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S3 owners now have have something to rejoice about. Not only was T-Mobile the first U.S. carrier to offer the smartphone in stores back in the beginning of the 2012 summer, the carrier has now become the second wireless provider in the United States to have released an Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean update for the Galaxy S3.
The Jelly Bean update started rolling out today, November 14, to T-Mobile Galaxy S3s across the United States. T-Mobile Galaxy S3 owners can grab the update via the Samsung Kies software or through an over-the-air update. Before updating, make sure the Galaxy S3 is charged, and if possible, utilize Wi-Fi rather than 4G in order to cut down on data usage.
Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean isn't the latest version of Android, but it does offer significant improvements over Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich - the stock operating system that the Samsung Galaxy S3 launched with.
There's Google's Project Butter, for instance. Project Butter improves the framrate and performance of the handset, making visuals and transitions much smoother.
Jelly Bean also introduces Google Now, Google's version of a voice assistant. Like Siri, users will be able to speak into the app and ask it questions. Google Now has been well-received, and when paired with Google Maps, makes a competent backseat driver.
The only other carrier to have released Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3 in the United States has been Sprint. Galaxy S3 owners with a Sprint variant received their Jelly version in late October.
Galaxy S3 customers of U.S. carriers AT&T, Verizon, and U.S. Cellular are still in the dark, despite numerous reports and leaks about Jelly Bean updates on the way. AT&T was rumored to release Android 4.1.2 sometime this week, while Verizon's Jelly Bean update has been leaked via various ROMS. Both Verizon and AT&T are expected to release Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3 before the end of 2012, in order to lure more holiday shoppers.