Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.2 Jelly Bean Update in Doubt

The Samsung Galaxy S3 will skip its Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update for Android 4.3 Jelly Bean on German carrier Telekom, something that supports rumors that the Samsung Galaxy S3, like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, will not be getting Android 4.2 but will instead be bumped to Android 4.3 in the future.

For weeks now, signs have pointed to Samsung skipping the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update in favor of Google’s newer software, Android 4.3. Samsung has yet to confirm the news to owners but carriers have taken it upon themselves to give their customers information. It was Australian carrier Telstra that first confirmed that Samsung had pulled the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.2 update in favor of Android 4.3 and now, it’s a German carrier that has seemingly confirmed Samsung’s intention to skip Android 4.2 on the Galaxy S3.

Read: Galaxy Note 2 & Galaxy S3: Signs Point Straight to Android 4.3.

In a short statement made by Telekom, discovered by AllAboutSamsung, the carrier suggests that its Galaxy S3 will be skipping Android 4.2 in favor of Android 4.3. It did not elaborate and specifically referred to its equipment rather than equipment as a whole. However, this supports what we’ve been hearing, and seeing for awhile now.

In addition to the carrier information, we’ve seen Samsung roll out Android 4.2 to lesser devices including the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus, a variant of the Galaxy S2. Samsung typically rolls out major Android updates to its flagships first and then rolls them out to their mid-range and less adopted devices. These roll outs were interpreted to mean that the Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 were likely to skip Android 4.2 and now, it appears that that is all but confirmed.

It’s unclear exactly when Samsung plans to roll out Android 4.3 Jelly Bean to these devices but given that it just arrived for Google’s Nexus smartphones and tablets, it could be months before Samsung gets Google’s new software out to Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy S3 owners.

Samsung Galaxy Note 2 users have yet to receive a major Android update as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean came stock out of the box. Galaxy S3 owners saw their Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update replace Android 4.0 last September.