Samsung Galaxy S3 owners are about to get a suite of new features.I love the moment when I unwrap a new device from its box, be it a phone, tablet or computer, but after a few days of living with it, the pristine look slowly disappears.
And that’s a shame because I use these products for a year or two, at least.
Their remaining charm comes from support, and too few companies actually deliver innovative features to products approaching obsolescence.
But if you’re a Galaxy S3 owner, you’re about to get a rich bunch of new additives that’ll make you fall in love with Samsung’s flagship smartphone all over again.
Samsung is beginning to roll out the latest version of Jelly Bean (4.1.2) to the Galaxy S3, and with it comes a range of applications first debuted on the Galaxy Note 2. These include a new version of the homescreen, a revamped gallery, split-screen viewing, new ways of creating folders and more.
New Flavours
The gallery has received a drastic overhaul and we’re happy to report it’s for the better. There are new animated views, pictures now autorotate, the face-tagging squares plaguing the original can be hidden and you can enlarge/shrink thumbnails with the familiar pinch to zoom gesture.
 Albums and Photos can be managed simultaneously |
 A spiral view is just one way you can browse your photos |
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 introduced a feature that would divide the screen into two sections and allow you to assign different applications to each. The S3 inherits split-screen viewing, allowing users to seamlessly use two applications at once on its 4.8 inch screen.
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A pane appears/hides whenever you hold down the back button. It displays a long list of applications compatible with split screen use.
 notifications can be customised; the task manager now has a Google Now icon; Users can choose one of two homescreens |
The shortcuts featured on the notification pane can now be customised. Additionally users can toggle on or off the brightness slider.
Google’s predicative lifestyle service, Google Now, has benefitted from more detailed options, such as movies, birthdays, events and stocks.
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Android invites users to customise the homescreen; however, offering customers too many options where they can nitpick every little detail runs the risk of complicating the software. In an effort to appease simpler users, Samsung has offered a ‘basic’ version of its touchwiz interface.
Samung flavoured Jelly Bean
This Note inspired series of smartphones and tablets are a testament to Samsung coming into its own, introducing features unique to its range and subsequently differentiating itself from the ‘me-too’ iPhone clones.
The 4.1.2 version of Jelly Bean is gradually being rolled out globally, starting with Poland. Australian carriers spend months customising and testing new software versions, which will undoubtedly delay 4.1.2s local rollout. The previous version, 4.1.1, is still being rolled out to Galaxy S3 users on Telstra, Optus and Vodafone networks.
The international version was rolled out yesterday and the proficient few can download it from developer sites. But be warned: rooting and hacking your Galaxy S3 will void the warranty and should be undertaken by more experienced users.
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