Samsung Galaxy S2 Jelly Bean Update: Release Feb. 2013, Here's Why It Takes So Long

So here's the deal Galaxy S2 owners everywhere: Jelly Bean is coming soon. Yes, there's been a number of delays, but Samsung has recently confirmed that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for the Galaxy S2 handset will be rolling out starting Feb. 2013. 

While most of us have had to rely on secondary sources for information regarding the Galaxy S2 Jelly Bean update, website CNET managed to get a comment straight from the horse's mouth. A Samsung spokesperson confirmed to CNET that the Android 4.1 update will be hitting Galaxy S2s in Singapore starting February. As far as comments go, this is the most official statement given yet, as most previous reports have relied on Facebook statements, which tend to be more iffy. 

Some details about the Jelly Bean update have leaked out ahead of time. The firmware upgrade, according to SamMobile, will be so huge that it will need to repartition the onboard memory to 11GB instead of 12GB. Given the size, it's not surprising that SamMobile also reports the update could take around an hour to fully install. 

Other than that, the upgrade will introduce the standard Google Now and Project Butter fanfare alongside several Samsung-specific features such as Multi-Window, which will allow . Still, many Galaxy S2 owners around the world must be wondering - why are some devices on Android 4.2, while everyone else has to wait months, sometimes even a whole year, to get a newer Android version?

The reason lies in the nature of Android's development. Google develops Android, then releases it to the public to play with as they see fit. This root version works fine on unlocked, Google-branded devices (i.e., the Nexus 4 and Nexus tablet series), but manufacturers like Samsung or Sony tailor the Android OS to their handsets. After this is done, carriers then receive the update, and proceed to further fill it with bloatware. Finally, the upgrade gets distributed over the air. 

This is why carrier-tied handsets receive Android later than unlocked ones. Keep in mind that Samsung also has newer, more lucrative smartphones such as the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 out that eat up in the manufacturer's software development resources. 

International Galaxy S2s in most regions around the world should be seeing Jelly Bean next month, but those with carrier-specific variants will have to wait even longer. Sorry folks, it isn't pretty, but it's the price you pay for customization and open source where everything isn't streamlined through an Apple-like funnel.