After being dispossessed of universal search by a "stability update" earlier this week, the BBC reports that UK Galaxy S III owners will be getting the functionality back "within the next few days," citing a statement from Samsung. The phone in question — model number GT-I9300 — is the unlocked, international version of Samsung’s flagship device, and is sold not just in the UK, but throughout Europe and elsewhere.

The functionality in question allows users to search both the web and local files using the same interface — a feature Apple claims infringes one of its patents, and the impetus behind the (now stayed) ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus device in the US. The company has been removing the feature from its US Galaxy S III variants using similar updates, but it isn’t clear why it decided to do the same in Europe, where the phone isn't at immediate risk for an injunction. At this point it's unknown whether GT-I9300 devices in other regions will have the functionality restored too, or if the fix is only headed to the UK, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.

Thanks, Fysi!