Samsung Galaxy S III owners in the UK can start using universal search again. Shortly after stating that removing the function had been “inadvertent,” Samsung issued an OTA update restoring it, reports Android Central. Universal search — which lets users search both the web and local files with one field — was removed in the US as part of a wide-ranging patent dispute, but the change later came to international versions of the phone as well. The new update is reportedly only 5MB and also includes “stability improvements.”
UK Samsung Galaxy S III update brings back universal search
Samsung has brought universal search back to the UK version of its Galaxy S III in an OTA update.
Samsung has brought universal search back to the UK version of its Galaxy S III in an OTA update.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
At this point, the biggest question is whether universal search will be coming back to non-UK versions of the phone. The unlocked, international GT-I9300 is sold throughout Europe and in other places where there’s no immediate legal threat, but so far, we’ve heard nothing about fixes elsewhere. A later trial between Apple and Samsung, meanwhile, will determine the fate of universal search in the US.
Update: Universal search will be determined by a trial next year, not the upcoming US one.
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