The Korean tech giant Samsung has begun rolling out the much-awaited Android 4.1 Jelly bean update for its Galaxy S3 in Europe, making it the first non-Nexus Android handset to get the update.

Galaxy S3 owners in Poland are the first to get the Jelly Bean update, which began rolling out on Sept. 24. Samsung will be pushing out the update to more countries later this month. XDA Developers forum member "victorator" was the first to spot the update and published screenshots of Jelly Bean running on the Galaxy S3.

"Samsung has apparently started a few minutes ago to update the Samsung Galaxy S III on Android 4.1.1.," stated the AllaboutSamsung report (translated). The report further states that the update would "start with the Eastern European countries, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia and Co: The update is initially only available via KIES, but is already on the OTA servers and there is around 282.5 MB."

Samsung confirmed the update roll out in a statement and said that Jelly Bean would be "gradually introduced to other markets." The Korean company, however, did not give any additional details with regard to the specific markets or time frame.

"The availability and schedule of the software upgrade will vary by market and wireless carriers' requirements," disclaimed the statement.

Additionally, Samsung confirmed that Jelly Bean will be coming to additional devices "soon". The list of devices that are slated for a upgrade are: GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 & 10.1, GALAXY Note 10.1, GALAXY SII, GALAXY Note, GALAXY Tab 7.0 Plus, GALAXY S Advance, GALAXY SII LTE, GALAXY Music, GALAXY Chat, GALAXY Ace 2, GALAXY Beam, GALAXY Ace Plus, GALAXY mini II, and GALAXY S DUOS.

What users need to know before they download the update

The firmware has the "PDA I9300XXDLIB CSC I9300OXFDLI1 MODEM I9300XXDLIB" code. The 282MB patch can be downloaded over Samsung's KIES software on unlocked SIM-free Galaxy S3 devices. Users would also be able to use over-the-air (OTA) updates to upgrade from ICS to the Jelly Bean platform. The Jelly Bean ROM for Galaxy S3 LTE can be installed using the ODIN flash tool. Users should ensure that the phone's battery is at least 50 percent and that they are on Wi-Fi before they begin the update.

The ROM and instructions are given in the guide; however, they are only applicable for the international version of the Galaxy S3 I9305 model. Users can verify their device's model number by going to Settings, followed by clicking on the About Phone section.

Additionally, it is advisable that users backup apps and important information before installation to avoid data loss.

What will the update bring?

The firmware update will bring a host of improvements users' way, including a smoother UI (courtesy of Project Butter), Google Now for search queries, a new Notifications bar, reorganized settings menu, a resizable Pop-up play screen, real time reminders, two Homescreen modes etc.

Samsung is gearing up to launch its follow-up to the Note, the Galaxy Note 2, soon in Europe (October) and U.S. (November). The Android-powered phablet runs on the latest Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform, so it would make perfect business sense for Samsung to get Jelly Bean onto its flagship S3 without any delay.