Sprint has begun gradually rolling out Android 4.1 ("Jelly Bean") to Galaxy S III users today, making it the first US carrier to launch the update for non-Nexus phones. The Jelly Bean update comes after Samsung's recent announcement that it would be releasing Android 4.1 "soon." For Sprint users, "soon" has become "now."

The update brings with it features like Google Now, NFC One-Touch pairing support, and camera enhancements like a low-light photo mode. Jelly Bean also includes some usability enhancements—rearranging widgets on the home screen no longer requires manual repositioning. Instead, widgets can now dynamically reposition themselves to make room for new widgets as they are dragged around the grid.

Samsung had previously announced the update would be made available to all cellular carriers that offer the Galaxy S III—including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Sprint. However, a quick check this morning on an Android 4.0-powered Verizon Galaxy S III did not show any updates pending. For now, it seems only Sprint Galaxy S III users are getting Jelly Bean. There is no word yet on when the other carriers will follow suit.