Galaxy S III Jelly Bean [ Edited ]

[brianreigh]

Does anyone know when ours is coming? Sprint got theirs in October, and T-Mobile is pushing out the update today... I don't understand why it's taking AT&T so long

[kf916]

Hey guys,

Just read that AT&T was delaying the Jelly Bean update till January 2013.  They have already released the update in Europe so its not a code issue.  Not too happy about this since AT&T agreed two years ago at the Google Android conference to not delay these updates anymore. 

Note to AT&T:  If you are worried about crashing the network, ask me to come into a store to do it or force me to use my USB cable and not perform the upgrade OTR.  Delaying this just makes me not want to get my next device from you.  Please value your customers who buy these expensive devices by not sitting on the software updates. 

[redpoint73 ACE - Professor]

Updates from AT&T almost always come out later than other regions.  They claim to be taking extra time in "testing".  But whatever the reason, AT&T is notorious for length delays of updates.  Just because Europe is getting it, means nothing for us.

Besides, I believe the European version of the GS3 has completely different hardware, meaning its not remotely the same firmware.

[franco802]

I came from an iphone 5 and the speed of that thing was like lightning! This S3 is no where close to being as quick. Everyone is telling me to wait until jellybean is out and it will be as fast as or even faster than an iphone 5. So when is att releasing it???

[kgbkny]

According to Samsung's recent announcement, the US variants of the S3 will be updated to Jellybean "in the coming months". There's strong speculation in the tech blogosphere that the S3 will not see Jellybean until 2013 in the U.S.

As a rule of thumb, don't ever buy a carrier-branded, manufacturer-skinned phone expecting a speedy update. I've had numerous experiences with such phones (I've been using Android phones since the G1) and purchased the S3 without any expectations for an update, let alone a speedy one. Not only do the carriers stand in the way of timely updates in the U.S., but Samsung is known for being notoriously slow when it comes to updating their phones.

Want quick updates? Get a Nexus phone - stock Android and direct-from-Google updates with no carrier/manufacturer interference. My backup phone is a completely stock, unrooted Galaxy Nexus. It's already running Android 4.1.2.

[hertzsae]

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franco802 wrote:

I came from an iphone 5 and the speed of that thing was like lightning! This S3 is no where close to being as quick. Everyone is telling me to wait until jellybean is out and it will be as fast as or even faster than an iphone 5. So when is att releasing it???

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You're coming from a phone that was released one month and 2 days ago?

[kvkeerthi]

I totally agree. AT&T should be ashamed of doing this to their customers.

[Buckyball]

AT&T update policy sucks. Highest prices on the market and worst service

[smooth4lyfe]

Sprint had pushed out their Jelly Bean updates to their GS3 customers, hopefully AT&T will be next!

[franco802]

Yes, tired of iphone. Can't play flash player and there is way more I can do with an android phone. I'm not an apple junkie, I just had iphones for quite a while. The iphone 5 /apple is so limited with thier security stuff. I now am able to do work through my android and check my corporate emails. Love the bigger screen on s3 and lot's of other things. I do miss some things about iphone, but not enough to go back.

[qitupx]

Flash Player doesn't work in Jelly Bean FYI

[franco802]

What the heck?? Your kidding???????

[mendomar012]

No he's right. But you should return your s3 and get the new nexus 4 and you will get all the updates as soon as Google releases them http://www.google.com/nexus/4/

[ricanguy73]

Why would you want the Nexus 4 when it doesn't support LTE? I can understand is pure Google and it gets the updates as soon as they're launched, but the S3 supports LTE, just hang in there and wait for the update. It's not like the phone right now is bad.

[mendomar012]

Because lte kills the battery right away, and cause lte is not in my area now anyway. So by the time the next nexus comes out then maybe it would support lte. And another thing AT&T lte it's completely different than the rest of the world's lte so you can't roam with AT&T lte

[redpoint73 ACE - Professor]

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mendomar012 wrote:
And another thing AT&T lte it's completely different than the rest of the world's lte so you can't roam with AT&T lte

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AT&T phones with LTE, also have the HSPA and GSM bands to get data roaming most anywhere in the world (same as the Nexus 4), so this is not a valid argument.  Yes, an AT&T phone won't get LTE while abroad, but neither will the Nexus 4.

Your other points about LTE are mostly valid.  HSPA is fast enough for most things, and if LTE is not even available in your area, I can certainly see the allure of the Nexus platform (although I personally hate LG hardware). 

Also, LTE is not always a battery killer.  I get around 2 days (48 hours) of battery on a single charge with my One X while on LTE.

[mendomar012]

That's my point I want to wait till lte can roam globally so I can get the better speeds. Not just hspa+ and when lte can conserve better battery. And your point of having battery for two days it's on stand by. So what's the point of that

[redmacdaddy]

I was wanting to get the S3, but was hoping the Jelly Bean would be ready by now.  It should not take this long for a roll out. Android should be pushed out to devices like iOS and everyone gets it at the same time.  For now will have to continue to wait....and wait.....and wait...oh my.

[lee2314]

I so agree. AT&T needs to update SGH-1747 to Jelly Bean so do it fast. Why wait unitl Jan 2013? Stupid . 

[kgbkny]

I completely agree. I don't buy the whole "testing" thing. As the OP pointed out, if AT&T is so worried about crashing their network, why not force the update to be done over Kies and not release it OTA? I can't even hold it against Samsung, as they have already provided Jellybean updates to the carriers, who are choosing to sit on them for undetermined reasons.

Android 4.2 will be released next week, when the Nexus 4 goes on sale. By the time AT&T (as well as Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular) decides to release the update, it will already be outdated. I guess it's a good thing I held on to my Galaxy Nexus (even though I have a S3), as it was updated to Jellybean in July, and will most certainly receive the 4.2 update before my S3 sees Jellybean. If only Google released a LTE-compatible Nexus phone, I would never buy a carrier-branded, OEM-skinned device. Unfortunately, due to all LTE carriers having specific LTE frequencies, this isn't yet possible.

[kgbkny]

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redpoint73 wrote:

Besides, I believe the European version of the GS3 has completely different hardware, meaning its not remotely the same firmware.

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Correct. The international version of the S3 is equipped with a quad core Exynos processor, while the U.S./Canadian versions are equipped with a dual core Snapdragon Krait processor. The two versions also have different GPUs.

[disneymagik]

You can get a bigger battery for the GSIII. The stock battery is 2100 mAh. I haven't tried anywhere like Batteries Plus to see if they're going to carry them, but you can get a 4600 mAh battery that lasts 2.19 times longer from http://tinyurl.com/bjufcxm. I'll be investing in one, esp for vacation, long trips to dr appt's, etc. I do realize that it's physically larger which is why they include a back cover designed to fit with the better battery. But for those that have the GSIII, if they're anything like me, it's in use more than not & a better, longer lasting battery makes sense. To me anyway. Esp with lte not far away where I am right along I-94 that connects Chicago & Milwaukee.
One last note, after getting to try out lte on our vacation to Orlando in August, I can't see myself choosing NOT to use lte. Disney now offers wifi in the parks & as well as on grounds (resorts) but not only did lte leave it in the dust, but wifi sucked battery like crazy. They'll have to rip my unlimited data plan from my cold dead hands!!! And God forbid, if that day comes, it's adios!
Sorry for WTMI!

[disneymagik]

I don't know why my tinyurl isn't working but here's the entire long link:
http://www.mugen-power-batteries.com/mugen-power-4600mah-extended-battery-for-samsung-galaxy-s3-i930...

[disneymagik]

Has anyone here tried the unofficial version of Jellybean that would like to share/comment?

Just curious.....

[kgbkny]

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mendomar012 wrote:
And another thing AT&T lte it's completely different than the rest of the world's lte so you can't roam with AT&T lte

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That's not entirely accurate. Not only does the overwhelming majority of the world not have LTE at all, but pretty much all carriers who DO have LTE utilize different frequencies. This is not limited to AT&T.

[21stNow]

The thoughts of LTE being a battery killer are lingering from devices mostly from 2011, the iPhone 5 being an exception to this.  I use a Galaxy Note and a Galaxy S III on AT&T and think that the battery life is fine.  I can easily get through a day of normal use on both of those phones.  I charge overnight anyway, so getting longer than a day is not something that I routinely try to do.

[kgbkny]

I have Galaxy Nexus that I kept after switching to the S3, mainly to avoid having to wait several months for OS updates. The phone hasn't seen much use after I got the S3, but I recently brought it along on an overseas vacation. Although the GNex comes with a smaller battery than the S3 (1750 maH vs 2100 maH), it doesn't have LTE capability. The battery would drain after using the phone for a couple of hours, mainly to check e-mail and do Facebook updates. The S3 lasts much longer than the GNex, LTE and all.

[supastevexd]

u can get flash player to work on jellybean.

just search for flash player jellybean apk.

[Edited to comply with Guidelines]

[supastevexd]

im getting pretty jelouse looking at my firends sprint gs3 with jellybean..

im just about ready to just install a rom because its been for ever...

[Wild Banchi ACE - Master]

WHY would Google choose to remove the Adobe Flash Player capability with the new Jellybean update?! That's one of the things I loved most about my Android phone... I could even upload pictures straight from my phone to this Forum itself! Can't do that with my iPhone, and now they've decided to take it away?! I thought technology was advancing; it now appears to be regressing...