Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus Jelly Bean Update: Android 4.2.2 Will Be Device’s Last Upgrade, No Trade-In Rumors And No KitKat

Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus’ Jelly Bean update is expected to be the final official update for the device. There are no rumors that a Samsung Galaxy S2 plus trade-in will happen and zero reports that Android KitKat will be available next year for the handset.

Since it was rolled out earlier, some tech sites have reported that this will be the last upgrade for the phone, which officially declares it obsolete.

The rapid release of one new Android phone over another has sped up the Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus’ path to obsolescence. The S2 Plus, however, is still considered one of the best Android phones available.

The slate-format Android smartphone was unveiled by the South Korean tech giant last February 2011 at the Mobile World Congress. It was one of the slimmest smartphones at that time at 8.49 mm thick.

It was succeeded by the Samsung Galaxy S3, which was introduced last year. In today’s wave with handsets getting new updates every year, a model two generations behind maybe too long ago for its manufacturer.

This potentially final software upgrade is now being rolled out to Samsung Galaxy S2 Plus users in Germany. The move by the South Korean tech giant to offer an update for their less-popular device has left many to wonder what the updates would be for consumer favorites Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2.

In a report by Tech 2, it said that there are rumors that the better-known gadgets of the South Korean tech giant will jump to Android 4.3

Carriers in the U.K. and Germany have earlier confirmed that the more popular handsets and tablets will go straight to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean.

The S2 Plus was released in February and runs on Android 4.1.2, which by this time qualifies for a system upgrade. It’s not as popular, however, as its flagship counterpart. The Samsung Galaxy S2, which is more than 2 years old, has received two system updates so far. According to Android Authority, the S2 has gone from its native Android 2.3 Gingerbread to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

The Galaxy S2 and the Galaxy S2 Plus share the same general specifications, noted the International Business Times, which probably indicates why the smartphone received the Android 4.2.2 for which it is still compatible.

The Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update was announced last November and is the native operating system for the flagship Samsung Galaxy S4. Other devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Mega were also released with Android 4.2.2 running.

Since last week, Android 4.2.2 is also being rolled out on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 LTE tablets in the U.K. The tablet was released in April with the Android 4.1.2, the Galaxy Note 8.0 is similar to the Galaxy S2 Plus both in terms of its age and Android systems version.