It may not be the last existing device ever not to get an upgrade to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but as far as announced devices go, Verizon and Sprint’s respective versions of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus may be at the back of the line. This is contrary to what was previously announced by Google, that the Galaxy Nexus of Verizon will be one of the first devices to receive the upgrade.

As of yesterday, some carriers have announced that Jelly Bean updates will be forthcoming on their devices. For example, Vodafone Australia’s Nexus S was expected to roll out today, July 19, at 1:00 PM AEST.

It simply means that even older Nexus models may be updated with Android 4.1 ahead of Galaxy Nexus versions offered by U.S. carriers. Among America’s Big Three carriers, only AT&T doesn’t offer a version of the Galaxy Nexus.

Unfortunately, neither Sprint nor Verizon has commented on Google’s earlier announcement. Based on the carriers’ history and the notoriously slow progress of Android Ice Cream Sandwich updates so far, there may be a good chance that American owners of the Galaxy Nexus may have to wait until next year before they can enjoy Android 4.1 on their phones.

After all, it took five months before Verizon released a software update for the original ICS-powered Galaxy Nexus.

In the meantime, today’s Vodafone Australia update rollout is indeed good news for owners of non-LTE Galaxy Nexus phones, particularly those Down Under. We hate to be so pessimistic, but it really may be a long wait for Verizon and Sprint Galaxy Nexus owners.