Samsung Galaxy S3 Update Release Date: Does Mid-Tier Rollout Mean Android 4.3 for the Galaxy S3?

Now that a lot of non-flagship devices have received Android 4.2.2, can we expect the Galaxy S3 to soon get a small update? Or does the mid-tier rollout further bolster rumors that Android 4.3 will be the next Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3?

Google announced Android 4.3 in late July, and soon manufacturers like Sony and Samsung were responding to questions about rolling out an operating system update. Since then, Google released the Google Play editions of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4. That's no surprise; one of the selling points of the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 "Nexus experience" was that they would be able to receive Android updates as soon as it was available.

But since then, in the last week or so, Android 4.2.2 has rolled out to the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus in Germany, the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, and the Galaxy Note 8. These are not exactly flagship devices, which you would expect to be the first to get the update. This could be a sign that the company wants to work out bugs before releasing an update. It could be a sign that the Android 4.2.2 update is imminent for the Galaxy S3. But it could also be a sign of something else.

Samsung may be opting to update last year's flagship device to Android 4.3 directly. The Australian carrier Telstra has said that the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 4G will be updated directly to Android 4.3, instead of going through Android 4.2.2 first:

"Samsung have elected globally to skip the 4.2.2 update for this device and will instead go to a newer version of Android. No schedule has been provided for this update."

If the Galaxy Note 2 is going directly to Android 4.3, its flagship smartphone cousin would likely do the same. Meanwhile, an anonymous supposed Samsung research and development insider in India further supports this theory, according to reports from Temefy.

The insider said the Samsung Galaxy S3 would be updated directly to Android 4.3, and had an image of a purported GS3 running Android 4.3 - though it's one of those fuzzy, bad image quality leaks that can so easily be a Photoshop job.

According to an Android update "pre-list" leaked by SamMobile, the Samsung Galaxy S3 will eventually make it to Android 5.0 "Key Lime Pie," but it's likely to follow behind the Galaxy S4. So, as Google is rumored to release the new Android system in November, the Samsung Galaxy S4 will be first in line of the Samsung products to receive the update - meaning that some time before it should have received the 4.3 update (unless Samsung is planning on leapfrogging that device as well). The Galaxy S3 would likely lag behind on an Android 5.0 update (so far behind in fact, that it's not worth looking forward to yet).

So where does that leave the Galaxy S3 and a possible Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update? Still drifting in a sea of uncertainty, unfortunately. There are too many mixed messages to know for sure when the release date will b, and even what update Samsung will release. But if it seems more likely now that Android 4.3 is in the immediate future of the Galaxy S3, as well as the Galaxy Note 2.

Android 4.3 comes with a host of improvements, including Bluetooth LE support, OpenGL ES 3.0 for improved video and gaming graphics, restricted access mode for user profiles, and many bug fixes and performance enhancements.

If you're a Samsung Galaxy S3 owner, are you tired of waiting for Android 4.2.2 or 4.3? Would you rather wait longer for the Android 4.3 update, or are you just itching for those lockscreen widgets?