Samsung recently confirmed that the recent “stability update” for the Galaxy S3, the same one that rendered the on-device search function completely useless, was going to be repaired immediately according to the BBC. A recent statement from Sony said, “The most recent software upgrade for the Galaxy S3 in the UK included the inadvertent removal of the universal search function. Samsung will provide the correct software upgrade within the next few days.”
Reports of this bugged update surfaced earlier in the month when S3 owners discovered that they were unable to use the local search function for the internet, contacts, apps or other information. In addition to that, the customers were not given any warning that this would happen when they downloaded the software, though it may be that Samsung was unaware that it was going to occur. What’s more is that this only affected international users of the device, not users in the U.S.
When the disappearance of the search feature was first uncovered, there were rumors that it was the result of continuing patent lawsuits between Samsung and Apple, especially considering the fact that Apple owns a patent that covers local searches. However, Samsung told the BBC that the company had made a mistake in releasing the software.
Over 10 million units of the Galaxy S3 have been sold since the device launched only a couple of months ago. However, the release of the smartphone has been wrought with delays in shipping and questions pertaining to certain features already patented by Apple.
Samsung has already seen a U.S. ban on one of its other popular smartphones, the Galaxy Nexus, due to alleged patent infringement on Apple’s iPhone.
The good news is that even though users have lost their search function, the problem is only temporary and Samsung is hard at work getting an update out to users that will put everything back to normal.
Source: CNET – Samsung to reinstate the Galaxy S3’s search function
