The three-month old Galaxy Note 2 has been Samsung’s first device to run Android 4.1, so it was only natural to expect it to be the first to get 4.2 as well. And while that’s still in the cards, it seems that we’re all going to have to wait for a bit longer because the GNote 2 is being upgraded right now, but only to 4.1.2.

This is not a major shocker however, because the maintenance update for the second-gen phablet got leaked just last week, previewing the official bump that’s going on as we speak. We’ve also seen a couple of Galaxy S3 models getting the same 4.1.2 upgrade, so it was all building up to this.

For the time being, we have only been informed about two specific GNote 2 versions getting Android 4.1.2, but it’s obvious the rollout will increase in intensity very soon – at least across Europe. Poland is once again the icebreaker, with the Note 2 on carrier Play (model number GT-N7100) getting the update a few hours ago.

Sweden is number two on the list, but the phablet upgraded there is an LTE-enabled version (model number GT-N7105), so you can say the Swedes are road-openers as well. Both countries are getting the same software package though, with a JZO54K build number and a November 26 build date.

The upgrade’s changelog is pretty massive, but at a first glance there aren’t as many new features to get excited about as on the Galaxy S3. It’s no wonder though, because the piece de resistance on the S3 was definitely Multi-View, a feature that the Note 2 packed for a while. Here are some of the tweaks, though we’re not sure the list is an official and complete one:

• New additions in Notification Toggles
• Notification Panel can now be customized
• Brightness Slider in Notification Panel can be disabled
• Multi-View can be disabled
• Smoother browser
• Status Bar has been changed from Grey to Black
• Continues Input in Samsung Keyboard
• New Ink Effect on Lockscreen
• New Group Cast app

As usual, expect the update to be available both OTA (over-the-air) and through Samsung Kies and to generally hit unlocked phones before carrier branded versions. As for North American GNote 2s, those should themselves get the new software package “soon”, though if we were to speculate we would say you’re faced with at least one more week of waiting.

Now, who's got the upgrade already, where and how? Are there any new features or tweaks you'd like to add to the above list?