Verizon is at last, in the process of pushing out the much-anticipated Android 4.3 Jelly Bean over-the-air (OTA) update to all its carrier-branded Samsung Galaxy S III handsets located in the United States. In addition to the upgraded build of the open-source operating system, this update brings a newer version of the TouchWiz user interface, plus a multitude of bug fixes, stability improvements, speed optimizations, as well as support for the Galaxy Gear and Samsung KNOX.

The Galaxy S III was announced back in May, 2012 and went on sale shortly after its announcement. The handset packs a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, a 1.4GHz Cortex-A9 processor, a Mali-400MP GPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB/64GB of internal storage (expandable up to 64GB via microSD), an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2,100 mAh battery.

Also included in the update (software version JJSS15J.I535VRUCML1) is support for TRIM, updated GPU drivers, a revamped version of the traditional Samsung keyboard and the inclusion of lock screen widgets. The full changelog for this update, courtesy of Verizon, can be seen below:

The following capabilities have been added:

• Media Backup in Backup Assistant has been removed

• Move apps from internal memory to SD card (some applications may not support this feature)

• Camera supports ‘Sound & Shot’

• Share videos simultaneously across 4 devices with Group Play

• Multi Window has been enhanced

• Access music player controls on the Lock Screen

• ‘Location settings completed’ checkbox has been removed from Setup Wizard

• Even more Bluetooth® Smart Accessories are now supported – Accessories include heart rate monitors, pedometers and thermometers

• Roaming on the TELUS Network in Canada is now possible

The following changes have been made:

• OS has been upgraded to Jelly Bean 4.3

• Starter Mode has been renamed to Easy Mode in Home Screen

The following applications have been renamed:

• Samsung Link (formerly AllShare Play)

• Easy Mode (formerly Starter Mode)

• Screen Mirroring (formerly Allshare Cast)

• Samsung Hub (consolidated from Media & Music)

When you upgrade to Android 4.3, you will notice that the performance of your Galaxy S III will improve in the following ways:

• Enhancements to Isis Wallet App

• Premium SMS popup no longer appears when app is authenticated

• Activation has been enhanced to increase success rate

• Enhancements to Call Settings

• Personalize your call sound has been added to call screen

• Extra volume button is now located above the End button on the call screen

• Noise reduction icon is now a toggle button on the call screen

• Enhancements to Lock Screen Settings

• New time and date fonts and layout

• Multiple Lock screen widget UI has been added

• New Unlock, Help and Wake Up settings have been added

• Enhancements to Notifications

• Notification Panel Grid view has been added

• Quick Setting List is now editable

The following software issues have been resolved:

• Customer name displays correctly when calling voicemail callback number

• Use 3-way calling while roaming on Bluegrass Cellular

• Voicemail prompt displays properly

• Notification sound for email has been addressed

• ‘No Sim Card’ notification has been fixed

• Text messaging application no longer closes when composing a message

Like all Verizon’s major software updates, this one’s being rolled out in stages, so if it doesn’t reach your handset today, it should do so pretty soon. But if you want to see if the update is currently available for your device, head into “Settings”, then “About Device” tap on “Check for Updates”.

• SourceVerizon