All UK Samsung Galaxy S3 handsets to get Jelly Bean 'within weeks'

The Jelly Bean version of Android has begun rolling out to Samsung Galaxy S III handsets across the UK.

Samsung said S3 owners will get a software update to take the devices up to Android 4.1 either now or in the very near future, for all operators.

"Samsung UK can confirm that the rollout of Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) has begun for our Galaxy S III customers and will be available across all networks over the coming weeks, pending software testing and approvals," the phone maker said in a statement on Thursday.

Network operator Three confirmed via its Twitter account on Thursday that the update process has already begun.

Operators have been guilty in the past of taking an excessive amount of time to deliver Android updates once a new OS has been released by Google. The primary reason for the delay, besides software testing, is the need for the hardware maker to retool any of its services or apps to run on the newer version of the platform.