Samsung Electronics South Africa has announced the local availability of an Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) software upgrade for the 3G version of its Galaxy S4 (review).

According to the company, this software update to Android 4.3 will be available for Galaxy S4 owners via KIES, as well as FOTA (firmware over the air). Users are further able to visit their nearest Samsung Smart Care Service Centre, where representatives can assist them with the upgrade.

We would recommend that you connect to a Wi-Fi network before downloading and installing the update, in order to avoid data bill shock come month end since its more than 693 MB in size.  

A neat spin-off of this upgrade is the support it brings for Bluetooth Smart (aka Bluetooth Low Energy), which means that S4 users can now finally connect their smartphone with a Galaxy Gear smartwatch.

The Korean tech giant stated that the Android 4.3 upgrade for the LTE edition of the Galaxy S4 is still undergoing extensive local testing and should be rolled out to South African consumers at a later stage.

Craige Fleischer, director of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics South Africa has cautioned users of Samsung smartphones against rooting their device, as this will have a negative impact on the validity of their warranty.

“We work closely with local operators before releasing operating system updates to ensure a positive user experience. Therefore, we would like to urge users of other Samsung handsets to be patient for more information on official launch dates for upgrades, which will be communicated as it becomes available,” added Fleischer.

In related news, Sony recently revealed its Android update plans (Android 4.3 and 4.4 KitKat) for its Xperia range of smartphones.