The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update was slated to hit the Galaxy Note 2 smartphone last month. Both it and the Galaxy S III were scheduled to receive the upgrade to Jelly Bean 4.2.2 at the same time. Both of those mobile handsets may now skip the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean boost altogether, waiting instead for the arrival of Jelly Bean 4.3 or Android’s Key Lime Pie 5.0. While there have been reports of Samsung TouchWiz user interface integration problems with Android 4.2, lagging sales of the Galaxy S4 smartphone may actually be to blame for the delay.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II is available for a reduced sale price now starting at $49.99 – $799.99.
It is true that the Galaxy S4 smartphone has blown away all previous sales records achieved by an Android handset in its first two months of global availability. The Galaxy S4 has sold a reported 20 million units, making it the fastest selling Android smartphone of all time. But recently S4 sales have been less than what Samsung and market analysts had expected, and by delaying the Android 4.2.2 software for the Galaxy Note 2, the operating system currently offered by the Galaxy S4 out-of-the-box, Samsung could revive sales on the S4.
This would mean that the Galaxy Note 2 may not receive an operating system upgrade until the arrival of Android 4.3 or Android 5.0. These are the thoughts of Android bloggers and industry analysts, who also noted that the Galaxy Note 2 may still receive Jelly Bean 4.2.2, after the Galaxy S4 moves to Key Lime Pie 5.0. Samsung has not confirmed or denied TouchWiz user interface issues with Jelly Bean 4.2.2 for the Galaxy Note 2, but did recently confirm the Galaxy Note 2 was one of a few devices that would eventually receive Android’s Key Lime Pie 5.0.
All the rumor mongering over Android software versions has not seemed to hurt the sales and popularity of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphone/tablet, which is powered by a quad core Samsung Exynos central processor clocked at 1.6 GHz. A quad core graphics processor is also on board, as is an ample 2.0 GB of RAM memory. 16 GB of storage space is present, and the built-in microSD slot allows for storage extension.
Arriving on October of last year, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was the first handset to offer Jelly Bean 4.1 out-of-the-box. The large but slim phone measures just 0.37 inches (9.3 mm) in thickness, and offers a large 5.55 inch Super AMOLED display with True HD 720 by 1,280 pixel resolution. The phone can provide up to 15.0 hours of conversation from a single charge of its battery, and provides video capture at 1,080P HD resolution with its rear facing 8.0 megapixel camcorder.
