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The Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update will wend its way to Galaxy S3 smartphones in the United States in “coming months,” Samsung announced in a press release (see below). The specific launch dates will be revealed by each of the carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, and U.S. Cellular.
S3 owners will potentially be able to grab Android 4.1 either over the air or through Samsung’s Kies software, which downloads the update to a computer and then syncs it with the smartphone. Each carrier will announce its own update method.
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- Samsung Galaxy S3 sales hot despite iPhone 5
Beyond a taste of Jelly Bean, the update will bring new features to Samsung’s TouchWiz interface and improvements to the camera.
Users will be able to apply different filters to their still and video shots, combine separate video clips directly through the phone, and take advantage of a low-light mode.
People new to the Galaxy S3 will find an easy mode with home-screen widgets for their favorite apps, contacts, and settings. The update will offer different keyboard options, including the Swype keyboard. And users will be able to block incoming calls and alerts for a specific period of time.
The S3’s Android 4.1 update has been traveling throughout the rest of the world, and has already reached users in France, Spain, Romania, Austria, Sweden, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Poland.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S III has all the right moves
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Here’s that Samsung press release:
Samsung Mobile to Begin Jelly Bean Update with TouchWiz® Enhancements for Galaxy S® III Smartphones in the U.S.
Available
in the coming months, the Galaxy S III update offers the latest
Android platform; new camera, video and customization enhancements; and
access to ESPN’s ScoreCenter app with custom AllShare® integration
DALLAS — October 17, 2012 — Samsung
Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile) – the No.1 mobile
phone provider in the United States and a subsidiary of Samsung
Electronics Co., Ltd., the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide1
– continues its commitment to bringing the latest innovation to market
with the rollout of Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, the latest version of the
world’s most popular smartphone operating system, to all Galaxy S III
smartphones in the U.S. in the coming months.The
update will be made available both over the air and as a download via
Kies, Samsung’s content sync and software update solution. The specific
timing and update method will be announced by each carrier partner,
AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and U.S. Cellular.Galaxy
S III owners will receive the Jelly Bean update as well as a host of
new and enhanced TouchWiz features, making it a faster, richer and more
responsive device experience. Samsung’s best-selling flagship smartphone
just got even better.Samsung
refined and enhanced the Galaxy S III experience by adding new
capabilities to the camera, video and user interface, including:* Camera Enhancements:
o New live camera and camcorder filters offer a range of new ways to spark your creativity.
Warm vintage, cold vintage, black and white, sepia, color highlights
(blue, green, red/yellow), and many more are selectable from the main
camera screen.o Pause and resume while recording video allows
users to string together multiple captured video clips from a party,
birthday or sporting event into a single file with no post editing
required.o Low light photo mode takes
advantage of Galaxy S III’s best-in-class High Dynamic Range (HDR)
capabilities and offers an optimized mode for low light and indoor
photos.* Pop Up Play Update:
Users can now easily resize or pause the Pop Up Play picture-in-picture
video window, taking full advantage of the Galaxy S III’s powerful
processor and large 4.8-inch screen.* Easy Mode:
Easy Mode is a simplified user experience option for first-time
smartphone owners, providing large home screen widgets that focus on the
device essentials. The Easy widgets include both 4×2 and 4×4
arrangements of favorite contacts, favorite apps, favorite settings,
clock and alarm.* Blocking Mode: Galaxy S III owners can disable incoming calls, notifications, alarms and LED indicators for a designated period of time.
* Improved Usability: Users now have multiple keyboard options with the addition of the Swype® keyboard.
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean offers users a smoother, faster and more fluid experience with expanded feature functionality, including:
* Google Now:
Google Now gives users the right information at the right time, like
how much traffic to expect before leaving work, when the next train is
scheduled to arrive at the subway station or the score of a favorite
team’s current game – conveniently delivered as notifications.
Additionally, Google Now provides powerful voice assistant functionality
across a range of domains, including weather, maps, navigation, search,
image search, flight status and more. Google Now can conveniently be
launched from the lock screen shortcut or by a long press on the menu
button from any screen.* Rich Notifications:
Notifications can now expand and shrink with a pinch to show the right
amount of information a user needs. Notifications have been enhanced so
action can be taken without having to launch the app first – like
sharing a screenshot directly from the notification.* Automatic Widget Adjustment:
Customizing the home screen is easier than ever before. Users can
simply place a new icon or widget on the screen, and existing icons will
move out of the way to make space. When widgets are too big, they
automatically resize to fit on the screen.In
addition to the operating system update, Samsung and ESPN worked
together to integrate AllShare® technology into ESPN’s popular
ScoreCenter® application. This means Galaxy S III owners will now be
able to wirelessly push on-demand ESPN global sports coverage and
highlights from the ESPN ScoreCenter app to their Samsung SMART TV.
When on the same Wi-Fi network as a Samsung SMART TV, a sharing icon
will appear within the ScoreCenter video player which allows users to
seamlessly push what they are watching to the TV. The ScoreCenter app
with AllShare integration is available today for download through S
Suggest on all U.S. Galaxy S III devices.With the Jelly Bean update, the Galaxy S III will also add support for some exciting new accessory experiences.
* AllShare® Cast Wireless Hub:
The AllShare Cast Wireless Hub accessory allows users to wirelessly
mirror their phone screen to any HDTV or HDMI® display. Whether it’s
sharing pictures, browsing the Web, playing games, streaming music,
watching videos or projecting business presentations, users can control
the action on the big screen wirelessly from their smartphone. AllShare
Cast Wireless Hub even supports licensed content playback of premium TV
and movies.* NFC One Touch Pairing Support:
Galaxy S III can now pair with supporting NFC Bluetooth® accessories in
a single touch. The Samsung Galaxy HM3300 Bluetooth headset will
be the first Samsung portfolio accessory to support this functionality
(available in the near future), allowing users to pair their headset by
touching it to the back of their device.
1 Samsung
Mobile is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States based
upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics, North
America Handset Vendor Marketshare, Q2 2012. Samsung Electronics
Company is the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide based upon reported
shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics Global Smartphone Vendor
Market Share by Region: Q2 2012.Samsung, Galaxy, TouchWiz, S Suggest, AllShare and Smart TV are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Android,
Google Now, and other marks are trademarks of Google Inc. Other
company names, product names and marks mentioned herein are property of
their respective owners and may be trademarks or registered trademarks.About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung
Telecommunications America, LLC, (Samsung Mobile) a Dallas-based
subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and
markets wireless handsets, wireless infrastructure and other
telecommunications products throughout North America. For more
information, please visit www.samsung.com.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung
Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor,
telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies
with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing
approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the
company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine
independent business units: Digital Media & Communications,
comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication
Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and
Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized
for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic,
environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the
world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones
Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
