Though Android phones are rarely updated as quickly as their fruit-flavored competitors, Samsung at least makes a respectable effort to keep its old hardware running reasonably with modern software. Its Galaxy S 4 was one of the first non-Nexus devices we saw running Android 4.2.2 (which as of this writing is the most recent version of Android), and now the old Galaxy S III is getting ready to join the fun.

We've known since May that an Android 4.2 update for Samsung's 2012 flagship device was in the works, but now it looks like SamMobile got its hands on what appears to be an official, near-final build of the software. As expected, it appears to backport a number of Android and TouchWiz features from the Galaxy S 4, including the improved S Voice and other voice control features, new lock screen animations, new screen color presets, and more. Android 4.2 features like Daydream and the new Quick Settings pull-down menu will also make their way over.

It's worth noting that the version of the update SamMobile is working with is for the i9300 variant of the S III—that is, the international version equipped with the Exynos 4 Quad SoC, and not the US version with its dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus. Features and availability may differ based on the phone you have and the carrier you're with.

We won't know the full extent of what the update changes until we have it on our own phones, but when the final version trickles down to our Galaxy S III's we'll do a quick re-review of the phone for those who are still using them (and for new buyers, since Samsung and the carriers continue to offer the handset as a mid-range alternative to the S 4). Samsung hasn't announced international or US availability for the update yet, but we'll be keeping our ears to the ground.