Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
No, thank you Accept
X
WWDC: Everything We ExpectRemote Working in ParadiseBest Mineral SunscreensBest Solar CompaniesCNET CouponsMeal Subscription vs. TakeoutBest Satellite Internet ProvidersCurrent Mortgage Rates
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Samsung Galaxy Note gets Jelly Bean, new features in tow

Samsung's Galaxy Note is being bumped up to Android Jelly Bean, teaching the massive old dog some fun new tricks.

Andrew Lanxon headshot
Andrew Lanxon headshot
Andrew Lanxon Editor At Large, Lead Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's go-to guy for product coverage and lead photographer for Europe. When not testing the latest phones, he can normally be found with his camera in hand, behind his drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Expertise Smartphones, Photography, iOS, Android, gaming, outdoor pursuits Credentials
  • Shortlisted for British Photography Awards 2022, Commended in Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
See full bio
Andrew Lanxon
2 min read
Advertiser Disclosure
Advertiser Disclosure
This advertising widget is powered by Navi and contains advertisements that Navi may be paid for in different ways. You will not be charged for engaging with this advertisement. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, this advertising widget does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. We make reasonable efforts to ensure that information in the featured advertisements is up to date, each advertiser featured in this widget is responsible for the accuracy and availability of its offer details. It is possible that your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms in this advertising widget and the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser which will be presented to you prior to making a purchase. All information is presented without any warranty or guarantee to you.

Samsung's shaggy old St Bernard phone, the Galaxy Note, is being taught some new tricks with an update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The upgrade is reportedly rolling out now either as an over-the-air update or using Samsung's Kies desktop software.

The update brings a brandy-barrelful of new software features, including the split-screen app view first seen on the Note 2, SamMobile reports. The frame rate of page transitions has been increased too, making swiping around much smoother.

Jelly Bean also brings Google Now, the information service that learns from your travel habits and search terms to bring you live information without needing to search for it. The app has been updated recently and now offers more info about flight bookings, local photography hotspots and various other bits and bobs.

Other tweaks to the Note include Pop-up Play, which lets you view videos as a floating tile above the interface, so you can check your emails without missing a moment of your film. Various changes to the notifications panel and widgets will be arriving too, hopefully giving the fairly elderly mutt a new lease of life.

Samsung has a pretty rubbish record when it comes to updating its devices -- the Galaxy S2 was left on old software for far too long, causing something of an uproar among users -- so it's heartwarming to see newer software being rolled out on its doddery old hardware. Nevertheless, 4.1 isn't even the newest version of Android, and I wouldn't expect the Note to see any more upgrades.

The update should arrive any day now, but they tend to come out in batches with no discernible pattern. If you haven't had a notification already, pop into Settings > About this phone and hit the 'Check for updates' button. Failing that, plug the phone into your computer and try to get the update using Kies.

Have you already got the update? Has it given the Note enough new treats to keep you satisfied, or will you still be hungrily eyeing up Samsung's new releases at MWC? Lollop around in the comments below, or slobber all over our Facebook page.