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Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Update Release Date: What Not to Expect

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Last month, Samsung not only confirmed the Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for arrival, it detailed some of the update’s components. We also saw a leaked schedule point to updates during the month of November, a sign that a roll out is close. Here, ahead of the Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 release date, we offer some of our expectations.

In September of last year, the Samsung Galaxy S3, which launched with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich on board, received the bump up to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a fairly big leap. Just a month later, Google announced a brand new Android update, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, that tacked on features to its operating system and rolled out for Nexus owners in November.

At the time, most Galaxy S3 owners figured that the next update they would receive would be Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. Signs earlier this year pointed in that direction as a Galaxy S3 Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update leaked and it appeared that it would arrive alongside the Galaxy Note 2 Android 4.2 Jelly Bean update this summer.

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Then, a rumor smashed that all to pieces and suggested that Samsung was having problems with Android 4.2 and TouchWiz and that it would instead skip Android 4.2 Jelly Bean for Android 4.3 and that the software wouldn’t be out until late 2013. Many Galaxy S3 owners that Gotta Be Mobile talked to at the time couldn’t believe it. Samsung, in the past, had been diligent about updates and it had communicated its plans to its users. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months. As it turns out, Samsung did communicate information to Galaxy S3 owners, only, the information wasn’t about Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, it was about Android 4.3.

In October, we finally saw Samsung offer up specific details after a number of rumors and leaks hinted at impending Android 4.3 updates for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2. A short time ago, Samsung not only confirmed Android 4.3 Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S3, it detailed the update, saying that it would be coming with, among other things, Samsung KNOX and support for the Galaxy Gear.

From the looks of things, a Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update is close. We’ve already taken a look at what we expect from the update’s release date and now, we take a look at what we don’t expect from the upcoming Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 update release date.

Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Update in U.S. Not Among First

The Samsung Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update currently has an assortment of dates for the United States, the only region that has rumored release dates. However, at this point, don’t expect the Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 update to hit the United States first. The first Galaxy S3 update in the U.S. is scheduled to arrive starting November 6th on Sprint. That’s next week.

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While the Sprint Galaxy S3 could certainly be the first Galaxy S3 to get the Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update, we would be shocked if another Galaxy S3, somewhere else, didn’t get the update before Sprint’s variant. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the international variant of the Galaxy S3 get its update a day or two ahead of Sprint, early next week.

Sprint’s update has a serious chance but Samsung could roll out at least one major Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update before it arrives. At the very least, we should see a much smaller gap between international devices and the United States, something that Samsung device owners have been campaigning for for years. They have the delay to thank. The U.S. update will be among the first.

U.S. Cellular Galaxy S3 Extremely Far Behind

The leaked timeline gave device owners a heads up about the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon Galaxy S3 Android updates and they should roll out on or around these dates:

  • AT&T Galaxy S3 – November 13th
  • Sprint Galaxy S3 – November 6th
  • T-Mobile Galaxy S3 – November 25th
  • Verizon Galaxy S3 – November 22nd

The one major update that’s not listed here is the U.S. Cellular Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 update. Well, the carrier confirmed to Gotta Be Mobile that it will be rolling out the software in the coming weeks and given that it wants to sell a lot of its Galaxy Gear accessories, we have to believe that it’s telling the truth.

We don’t expect the software to take forever and should roll out relatively close to these other updates. Selling the Galaxy Gear is a huge motivation not only for U.S. Cellular but for the other carriers as well.

In-Depth Communication

In the build up to these rumored release dates, expect there to be zero communication from Samsung or the carriers involved. Typically, we see these updates emerge from the shadows without any warning and we expect that to be the case with the Galaxy S3 update, not only in the United States, but in other regions as well.

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So, what this means is that users will want to stop pestering the various social media accounts for information. They might know something but they typically don’t share it until something starts rolling out. These rumored dates are very credible at the moment so Galaxy S3 owners can simply sit back and wait for their date in November to arrive.

Major Installation Issues

In September, we saw Apple’s iOS 7 update bestow some serious installation issues on its customers. We also saw the same with its OS X Mavericks update for Mac. While we’ve seen installation issues with Android updates in the past, we don’t expect there to be major Galaxy S3 installation issues for users in the United States.

Instead, we expect Galaxy S3 owners to be able to get the software downloaded and installed without any major hiccups preventing the installation process from occurring when it does become available. Of course, we do expect there to be bugs on board once the software is up and running but the installation process itself should be seamless thanks to incremental roll outs.

Last Major Galaxy S3 Android Release

Don’t expect the Galaxy S3 Android 4.3 Jelly Bean release date to be the last major Android release date for the Galaxy S3. Rumor has it, the Android 4.4 KitKat update is next.

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We expect the device to get the software, given that how widely adopted it is, it’s just a matter of when. Google recommends that devices stop the update process around 18 months though we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Galaxy S3 ignore that and get the Android 4.4 KitKat update down the road.

30 Comments

30 Comments

  1. lebbietxg065 (@lebbietxg065)

    11/01/2013 at 2:08 pm

    before I saw the check which was of $5169, I didnt believe …that…my friend actually taking home money parttime from there computar.. there uncles cousin has done this for only 1 year and just now cleard the morgage on their mini mansion and bought a brand new Mini Cooper. find more………… http://WWW.JOBS61.¢øm

  2. Nijjal Shrestha

    11/01/2013 at 4:13 pm

    I am S3 owner and used 4.0.4 and 4.1.2 and waiting for 4.3.

    • denise

      11/04/2013 at 6:55 am

      I am an s4 owner and still waiting on my 4.3 update from sprint. : (

  3. Nitesh Singh

    11/01/2013 at 10:12 pm

    I am galaxyS3 owner and used 4.1.2 and waiting for 4.2.2 or 4.3

    • SkyRider

      11/02/2013 at 12:10 pm

      Thank you. I’ve flashed back to stock 4.1.2 w/root in antisipation for this OTA 4.3 update.
      Q1 will this update unroot my sprint gs3?
      Q2 will app2sd function be reinstated?
      Q3 will root affect update?
      I Luv my gs3

      • Matt Eskes

        11/02/2013 at 7:25 pm

        You’ll lose root and with KNOX, expect your bootloader to be completely locked down. The VZW GS4 bootloader can’t be unlocked, due to KNOX being implemented on its last OTA.

  4. william

    11/02/2013 at 11:55 am

    what about international carrier?

  5. Avihay

    11/02/2013 at 2:39 pm

    I’m never buying Samsumg again.
    As a Galaxy 3 owner, I have an OS three versions behind (4.1.2, while there’s already 4.4).

    • kbbk

      11/03/2013 at 4:57 pm

      You obviously didn’t read The article

    • Uzair

      11/03/2013 at 6:04 pm

      Same here, still on 4.1. 2 and ldek when the Rodgers update will come?!

  6. gareth baker

    11/02/2013 at 3:57 pm

    Im a galaxy s3 owner in the UK does anyone know when I will be receiving either 4.2.2 or 4.3 because I cant find anything on when it will be released in the UK and if it hrlps im on Vodafone :)

  7. dmai

    11/02/2013 at 8:57 pm

    Where it says “(LTE)” next to the date for Tmo version, does that mean the update is only for the LTE variant of the S3? If that’s the case, that’s a total bummer because I have the regular S3, and probably never going back to samsung going to nexus instead

  8. Jim Plumb

    11/02/2013 at 10:32 pm

    Received update to GS3 today.

  9. Sithesh

    11/03/2013 at 12:15 am

    What!! U received it?

  10. victor deb

    11/03/2013 at 1:07 am

    Just now got the update…thanks samsung…finally the wait comes to an end.

    • Sharath

      11/03/2013 at 11:23 pm

      Which update?

  11. Renaldo Smith

    11/03/2013 at 3:10 am

    Which version of the s3 did you received it on?

  12. sahith

    11/03/2013 at 10:20 am

    When the update would be in india can u please tell me

  13. See No Evil

    11/03/2013 at 11:25 am

    I found out the update was for 4.1.2 on GS3 for AT&T (US).

  14. negs

    11/03/2013 at 11:46 pm

    I am in nigeria and I use an international version of s3 when am I expecting an update .

  15. ugh

    11/04/2013 at 8:29 pm

    still waiting for the lte korean version

  16. Luis Feliz (@wxCIO)

    11/05/2013 at 6:14 am

    Glad to see updates coming to Verizon GS3 (at least tentatively) in the same month. I was afraid it would be several months. Would be nice if carriers would leave the OS alone and not mess with it…. then Android updates would be more available to all sooner!

  17. Kraig

    11/27/2013 at 10:10 am

    I’m a Galaxy s3 owner on Verizon, no 4.3 update as of 11/27/2013. Let’s go Samsung, Kitkat is around the corner!!

  18. bob

    11/28/2013 at 5:29 am

    Got it on my us cellular s3 this morning.

  19. Cam

    12/06/2013 at 6:26 am

    Can anyone tell me how much free space I need to receive an update? I’m on an S3 with 4.1.2, about 2.2 GB free. I suspect I need to delete some apps. Thanks.

  20. raven

    12/09/2013 at 8:31 am

    four people in my house have a galaxy – I’m the only one who received the update,

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