Samsung has confirmed to TechRadar that it accidentally removed Google's universal search function on its flagship handset.
The Galaxy S3 was subject to a software upgrade recently - XXBLG6 - in the UK, which stripped the ability to search the phone for files, apps and contacts using the dedicated Google widget.
However, a spokesperson for Samsung told us: "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."
Odd move
The move is interesting as there was no reason to lose the functionality in the UK at all, as while in the US the service was deemed to infringe Apple's patents, there was no such ruling in this territory.
How Samsung managed to 'accidentally' remove the feature in a recent software roll out is mysterious - it seems suspicious that a large corporation would make such a mistake. Surely Samsung wouldn't have made such a move then get cold feet with the backlash - it's not the first time it's had to do such a thing with a phone, after all.
However, the good news is a new update will be landing in the next few days to rectify the problem, which will please those that love the (admittedly scarcely used by many users) feature that makes it much easier to call up old messages and music on the go.
We've asked Samsung for more information on what actually happened here, and will update this story with more details should we get them.
