Globally, the Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android smartphones have sold well over 40 million units. Improving on the already best-selling popularity of the Galaxy lineup for Samsung, the Galaxy S II was an immediate hit worldwide, and it hit the United States for the first time in the form of the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch on the Sprint 4G WiMAX wireless network. That handset delivered the old Gingerbread operating system, but recently the Galaxy S II picked up the Jelly Bean OS update fumble that Samsung so ineffectively made.
Samsung announced back in December that the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update would be headed to the Galaxy S II. Very soon after that report, they announced that the Jelly Bean goodness would have to wait until February of this year. Then out of the blue, late last month Samsung began releasing the international Galaxy S II Jelly Bean update in a limited number of countries around the world. They then pulled the plug on that update, and Galaxy S II owners were frustrated and confused to say the least.
However, the long-awaited and tantalizingly dangled Jelly Bean 4.1.2 operating system update is back on for Samsung Galaxy S II handsets. Originally begun in Singapore and other parts of Asia, it has rolled out in particular parts of Spain as well. The Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean update was a significant one, delivering a faster and smoother user interface thanks to its Project Butter, and also delivering Google Now contextual search and virtual personal assistant features.
This is not an over the air update, and does require access to a computer and Samsung Kies, but it is nice to see nonetheless. Samsung Galaxy S II owners were attracted to their handset because of the speedy dual core 1.2 GHz Samsung Exynos processor and large 4.52 inch Super AMOLED Plus WVGA display. And in the United States, the handset was recently spotted at the Amazon Wireless store online sporting the bargain bin retail price tag of $0.01 on contract.
Samsung has not released an official Jelly Bean 4.1 update rollout schedule by country, and we will update that operating system’s Galaxy S II progress right here in the future, so stay tuned. For Samsung Galaxy S II Android smartphone owners, the good news is that the upgrade to the faster, smoother and more powerful operating system is finally underway once again, and it is simply a matter of time before the Jelly Bean OS hits their handset.
