The update is pushed OTA (over the air), in stages

Dec 19, 2013 05:18 GMT  ·  By

After Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and HTC One, the older Galaxy S III is now receiving the long-awaited Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update at Verizon Wireless.

The Big Red is one of the last US-based carriers to offer the major upgrade, but later is always better than never. Aside from bringing the phone's software to Android 4.3, the update adds full compatibility with Galaxy Gear and Samsung KNOX.

When users upgrade their Samsung Galaxy S III to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, they will also get the following new features and improvements:

New features and improvements:

- Media Beckup 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 Windows has been enhanced; - Access music player controls on the Lock Screen; - “Location settings completed” checkbox has been removed Setup Wizard; - Even more Bluetooth Smart Accessories are now supported (accessories include heart rate monitors, predometers and thermometers); - Roaming on the TELUS network in Canada is now possible; - Starter Mode has been renamed to Easy Mode in Home Screen.

The following applications have been renamed:

- Samsung Link (formerly AllShare Play); - Screen Mirroring (formerly AllShare Cast); - Samsung Hub (consolidated from Media & Music).

Keep in mind that software version VRUCML1 is now rolling out OTA (over the air) in waves, which means not all Samsung Galaxy S III units at Verizon will receive it at the same time.

Verizon customers who have yet to be notified on the update can manually check for it by going to Settings / About device / Software update / Check for updates. Stay tuned for more upcoming software updates at Verizon.