The Samsung Galaxy Stratosphere II hasn't been in the news much since it originally launched back in November 2012, but today Verizon is shining its spotlight on the QWERTY slider with a nice, big update. Verizon just announced that the Stratosphere II's update to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean will begin rolling out over the air today, March 27. The update, which is version JZO54K.I415VRBMA3, will be going out to users in phases.

Stratosphere II owners will be getting quite a few new features and performance enhancements with this new update. Along with the usual Jelly Bean goodies like Google Now and improved notifications, Samsung and Verizon have packed in improvements to sending and receiving text messages as well as better Wi-Fi connectivity. There are also quite a few app-specific changes, with an updated version of Quick Office, improvements to Pandora streaming connectivity, the addition of Verizon Remote Diagnostics and the removal of several built-in apps, such as Verizon Video and Zappos.

With a bump up to Android 4.1 and all of these enhancements, it's no surprise to see that this update is a big 'un, weighing in at 506.6MB. Judging by the list of improvements packed into the update, though, it definitely sounds like the time spent waiting for the new software to download and install will be worth it. Any Stratosphere II owners that want to try and grab this update manually can grab their phone and head on in to Menu > Settings > About phone > Software update > Check New. To help pass the time until Jelly Bean rolls its way onto your device, you can find the full changelog of this update below.

VOICE SEARCH

• Android lets you search the web with your voice and it is convenient for getting quick answers. It speaks back to you and is powered by the Knowledge Graph, bringing you precise answers and ranked search results.

NOTIFICATION ENHANCEMENTS

• Take action directly from the notifications panel. Send emails, return calls, share photos, and more. Notifications are expandable and you can see multiple emails and see event details.

GOOGLE NOW

• Just the right information at just the right time. Get today's weather before you start the day, and know when the next train will arrive as you're standing on the platform. Cards appear throughout the day automatically.

WIDGET

• Favorite App Widget has been added.

CREATE FOLDER

• User now has the ability to create a folder and add an icon.

DEVICE FEATURES & ENHANCEMENTS:

• Polaris® and Verizon Remote Diagnostics has been added
• VZ Apps, Verizon Video, Zappos, Color App, and VPN Client (icon only) have been removed
• Quick Office application has been updated to allow users to use S-Beam without downloading any external app
• Connectivity while streaming music on Pandora® has been improved
• Improvements have been made for sending and receiving text messages
• Improved Wi-Fi connectivity

Via Verizon Wireless (1), (2)