American editions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 are now getting updated to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, and in what can be considered a huge surprise considering previous history, Verizon Wireless was the first carrier to roll out the update to subscribers. This is a contrast to the carrier’s past, wherein Verizon would typically be the last U.S. carrier to get Android phones upgraded to the latest version. Aside from the Verizon Galaxy S4, U.S. Cellular users are also expected to get updated to Android 4.3 anytime soon.
As is always the case, Verizon announced the rollout with little fanfare, only announcing it this week, when details for the Android 4.3 update were posted on the carrier site. Indeed, several users have reported that Android 4.3 is indeed rolling out, and the update should bring several additional features, such as the Samsung Knox security suite and Bluetooth LE (low energy) support to allow pairing with the Galaxy Gear smartwatch/companion device.
And now here’s the difficult part, though one that every Android phone owner is most likely familiar with. According to Verizon, Android 4.3 is rolling out in phases, which means it may take a few days to a few weeks for everyone to receive the update. But if it’s any consolation, Verizon has made significant improvements in terms of update efficiency, so the “few weeks” worst case scenario may actually be just a week’s time. Again, it’s not an ideal way to roll out a new platform, but the important thing is that all Verizon Galaxy S4 owners should receive the update eventually.
