It appears Samsung got a little ahead of itself when it removed the local search function from international Galaxy S III models, because the company has admitted today that it inadvertently removed the feature and aims to bring it back within the next couple of days.
News comes by way of TechRadar, which snagged a comment from Samsung detailing the error:
“The most recent software upgrade for the Galaxy S III in the UK included the inadvertent removal of the universal search function. Samsung will provide the correct software upgrade within the next few days.”
Great news.
Samsung was thought to have removed local search from the international version of its top-selling smartphone over a patent dispute with Apple. The company removed the feature in an over-the-air update, no longer allowing users to search contacts, apps and other indexed content on the Android device.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
But it will be back, probably within a week.
The issue played out in an odd way, especially because the patent dispute originated in US courts, not in the UK. However, the company has moved quickly to restore the function, restoring the Galaxy S III to its former glory.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.