Other Android phones will benefit from Circle to Search, but it will take a little time

What do you want to know

• Samsung suggests that Circle to Search will be available on other Android phones starting in October.
• Like most of Google’s features, Circle to Search will eventually reach other Android devices, although for most of the year it remains limited to Galaxy and Pixel phones.
• A delayed release until September could be a strategic move to create hype and exclusivity for upcoming launches from Google and Samsung, including the rumored Pixel 8a and Galaxy Z Fold 6/Z Flip 6.

Samsung revealed that Circle to Search will be exclusive to Google and Samsung phones for most of the year.

Samsung really bragged in a press release about the Galaxy S24 series breaking sales records in the Netherlands. The company also dropped a bombshell: Circle to Search is dropping exclusivity and coming to other Android phones by October this year.

“The Galaxy S24 not only opens the door to the future of communications, but is also one of the first phones to offer Circle to Search with Google,” Samsung Netherlands said. “And that makes the S24 unique, since this feature will only be available on Samsung and Google devices until September of this year.”

Google introduced this feature and other AI tricks on the same day Samsung announced the Galaxy S24 series. Owners of Samsung’s latest flagship series and the Google Pixel 8 line can search without leaving their apps. Think of it as the next-generation Google Lens movement.

However, instead of the old-school Google image search routine, where you search for similar images or information about an image, now you just do a small circle on the screen on your phone. Hold down the bottom navigation bar and Circle to Search does the rest.

Like most cool features from Google, this feature is likely to spread to other Android devices eventually. But for most of the year, it’s sticking exclusively to Galaxy and Pixel phones.

Holding back other devices until September could be a strategic move to increase the exclusivity factor for Google and Samsung’s upcoming launches – think the rumored Pixel 8a and the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. Samsung probably won’t abandon its next foldable without this feature, and 9to5Google speculate as much for the Pixel 8a.

The awesomeness of Circle to Search is its speed and convenience, but it’s a shame that it can drag its feet before hitting other devices.