File this one under "Good Surprises." Today Sprint added an entry to its Software Updates page for the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, revealing a new Jelly Bean update for the aging device. The update is version GB27 and is described by Sprint as an "Optional Update." Unfortunately, due to the size of the update, the update is only being made available "over-the-wire" from Samsung. There are no other details on how to obtain the update, but it's possible that Galaxy S II owners will need to run Samsung's Kies software to get it. Kies is available for download from Samsung's website right here.

Exactly what's contained in the GB27 update is a bit of a mystery, as Sprint's support page only says "Android Jelly Bean." It seems likely that this is a bump up to Android 4.1, though, meaning that Galaxy S II owners will gain access to Jelly Bean goodies like Google Now, Project Butter and expandable notifications after installation. Considering that, I'd say that this update is worth the effort that it'll take to download Kies, grab your phone, plug it in to your computer with a USB cable and wait for the install to take place. We'll keep an eye out for a changelog for this update, and in the mean time, you Sprint Galaxy S II owners can go ahead and get to downloading.

UPDATE: Sprint has posted a bit more information about the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch's  Android 4.1 Jelly Bean update in its support forums. In order to install the update, Galaxy S II owners will need to either visit a Sprint Service & Repair Center or download it from Samsung's website. It doesn't look like the necessary files are available on Samsung's site quite yet, though, so you Galaxy S II owners will need to wait for this update a little bit longer. We'll update you when we learn more.

Via Android Police, Sprint (1), (2)