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Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 2 set for Android 4.3 update

The Samsung Galaxy S4, S3, Note 3 and HTC One are set to update to the cutting-edge Android 4.3 Jelly Bean from October.

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Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
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Richard Trenholm
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The Samsung Galaxy S4 is set to update to the cutting-edge Android 4.3 Jelly Bean in October, with the Galaxy S3 review, Galaxy Note 2 and HTC One Google Edition not far behind.

SamMobile reports the Android 4.3 update is in testing for the S4, S3 and Note 2. The S4 is reported to receive the update at some point in the next few weeks, followed by the S3 at the end of October or November, and the Note 2 at the end of November or December.

Don't hold your breath if you own an S4, S3 or Note 2, however -- just because an Android update is made available for a specific phone, it still has to go through the networks. The networks and manufacturers have to test the update to make sure it works with the extra bloatware, bumpf and gubbins they add to your phone.

Android 4.3 Jelly Bean is the very latest version of Google's popular software for smart phones and tablets. It made its debut on the new Google Nexus 7 and then the Google Nexus 4 this summer.

One of the biggest changes in 4.3 is the introduction of multiple user profiles, allowing you to share your Android device with friends, family and other halves without the worry they might accidentally delete your stuff or see things they shouldn't. It's a relatively small update, which heralds big changes in the newly-anounced Android KitKat, also expected in October.

Whether the update is coming to the S4's spin-offs -- the Galaxy S4 Zoom, S4 Active and S4 Mini -- is still unclear. Android is notorious for taking ages to see updates find their way onto older phones, which means many phone fans are left looking on enviously while paying for even relatively new phones that are stuck without up-to-date software.

Are you excited about the update, or are you not holding your breath for your network to figure it out? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook wall.