Sprint Samsung Epic Touch 4G Jelly Bean 4.1 Update Now Available

Sprint has updated its support page for the Samsung Epic Touch 4G to reflect the current availability of an Android Jelly Bean 4.1 update for the phone beginning today.

The update pushes the phone’s software version up to GB27, though Sprint also mentions that the update is optional. Due to the size and it being a generational update, the update is only available via Samsung’s Kies desktop update software, making it an over the wire update.

With the Epic Touch 4G being updated to Android Jelly Bean 4.1, the phone is now one of the few WiMax-powered devices in Sprint’s lineup to be updated to Jelly Bean, as most of the current smartphone lineup is now LTE-powered, with WiMax access being relegated to the prepaid group and being slowly phased out within the next two years as Sprint completes its Network Vision upgrade initiative and LTE rollout.

The 4.1 update includes all of the key Jelly Bean enhancements, such as Project Butter smooth scrolling and Google Now support, as well as the much maligned TouchWiz user interface that Samsung has used to its own advantage on its Android lineup. Sprint has yet to confirm further Jelly Bean update rollouts for other smartphones in its lineup that are of the same vintage as the Epic Touch 4G.