Removal of universal search on Samsung Galaxy S III in UK accidental

26 Jul 2012

Oops! A software upgrade rolled out to Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone users in the UK that removed universal search from these devices turns out to have been a mistake on the red-faced manufacturer’s part.

Yesterday, we reported how users online revealed that the latest software update disabled the functionality that allowed them to search both their phone and the web from a single Google widget.

At the time, the best guess for this sneaky update was that it would prevent a ban on the devices in the UK for infringing on Apple’s technology, following an injunction in the US for that very reason.

However, the South Korean smartphone manufacturer confirmed to TechRadar that the removal of universal search was “inadvertent” and that the correct software upgrade will be issued soon.

Elaine Burke is the host of For Tech’s Sake, a co-production from Silicon Republic and The HeadStuff Podcast Network. She was previously the editor of Silicon Republic.

editorial@siliconrepublic.com