What's better. Pure Android or Xiaomi MIUI shell? Speed and autonomy

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Since August, Xiaomi has been conducting open beta testing of the new MIUI 9 firmware, which, according to the developers, is designed to be fast as lightning - they even drew a corresponding logo. Now both fans and critics of the phenomenon company are eager to find out whether the new MIUI has really become faster, and whether the device with it on board is more durable?

First of all, Android version remained the same, and in the case of Xiaomi Mi5, on which testing was carried out, it is 7.0 Nougat. Official beta version MIUI 9 can already be downloaded from the official website for Xiaomi Mi6, Mi5X, Redmi Note 4X, Mi Mix, Mi Note 2, Mi5, Mi5S, Mi5S Plus, Mi Max 2, Mi Max, Redmi 4, Redmi 4X.

Appearance and ergonomics

Default theme. At first glance, there are no changes: the theme is one to one as before, and nothing has been added to the “Themes” application. But if you go to “Settings - Themes”, you will find two new ones: pink “Fantasy” and dark “Midnight”.

Pre-installed themes in the Themes app

Pre-installed themes in the settings menu

There are some visual changes in the stock theme - these are animations. When minimized, the application no longer “dissolves” as before, but collapses into an icon, much the same as it is implemented in iOS. The designers added one more small detail - a funny animation of icons when collapsing stock ones. MIUI apps: dialers, browsers and others. This is what it looks like:

Lock screen and desktop - there are many more changes - and, frankly, very pleasant ones - that can be found if you delve a little deeper into the system. From the lock screen, swiping left still launches the camera - it remains the same. But swiping to the right now provides quick access to the flashlight and some applications. For now it's only branded services Mi (of which Mi Remote and Mi Home are relevant for Russia for some devices), that is, the menu is not very useful, but it is possible that in the future it will be possible to install shortcuts and widgets of any applications there.

The desktop settings menu still opens with a pinch, and now there are only three positions: wallpaper, widgets and settings. Application icons in settings mode can now be checked and transferred from one desktop to another in batches. Moreover, you don’t have to wait at the edge of the screen with icons pressed down - an overview of existing tables immediately opens, and you can drop applications where you need them. In general, it's better to see it once.

Widgets are no longer huddled in the “basement”, but occupy an entire menu and are provided with a preview, so you no longer have to add each of the application widgets to your desktop to understand which one is best suited.

In the settings menu, you can select the style of flipping through desktops, and also, starting with the firmware version of August 31, designate the main desktop.

New features and applications

Multi-window mode appeared in the seventh version of stock Android, but the corresponding MIUI 8 update did not bring the long-awaited function. But MIUI 9 already supports working with two programs simultaneously: all popular messengers, social network clients, browsers - in general, everything you need for happiness. Multi-window mode is enabled through the recently launched applications menu.

You need to click on the “Split Screen” inscription at the top, drag any supported application from the recently launched ones to the top area, and then tap to select the application for the bottom of the screen. You can return to home screen- the top application will be minimized, and a somewhat awkward message “Tap to return to split-screen mode” will appear in the status bar. The same thing happens if you return “home” while working with two applications at the same time.

Applications work correctly in both vertical and horizontal orientation.

Finally, the windows are scaled: by default the screen is divided in half, but you can move the border, and then the window ratio will be 1:2. If one application opens the keyboard, the second one hides either at the top of the screen or under the keyboard. You can exit multi-window mode by simply moving the border between windows to the edge of the screen.

Reply to a message directly from the notification. Many applications have been offering this function for a long time, and now it is natively supported by MIUI 9: for example, when receiving an SMS, you can tap on the “Reply” button and, in fact, do it on the spot - exit active application and you don’t have to open the messenger.

Silent mode. A small but extremely convenient improvement: when you change the volume using hardware keys, in addition to the corresponding slider, a button for calling up the silent mode menu appears on the screen. There you can turn off the sound or select the “Do not disturb” mode - forever (that is, until it is turned off by the user), for half an hour, an hour, two or eight hours. Thus, you can turn off the sound at night or during an important meeting many times faster than before.

"Unimportant" notifications. In MIUI 8, you could swipe almost any notification to the left in order to prevent the application that sent it from appearing in the curtain with one movement. Now this function remains only in the settings: the same actions send “discarded” applications to the “Unimportant” folder. By default, the function is inactive; it must be enabled in the notification and status bar settings - the “Notification Filter” item.

What could be, but is missing. Unfortunately, many of the functions and features expected from the updated firmware were not included in MIUI 9. For example, the call did not migrate to it from Android 7 context menu by long pressing on the application icon - perhaps it’s a matter of time. Also at the presentation of MIUI 9, a lot was said about the proprietary Smart Assistant, about launching applications in the context of Smart App Launcher, a “smart” search algorithm in the Gallery... But all this is relevant only for China and is absent in global version firmware. It is possible that something will be added to the full release, but you shouldn’t pin your hopes on it.

Speed and autonomy

The lion's share of attention at the presentation of MIUI 9 was given to the performance of the system. And for good reason: the speed of the interface and application loading has increased significantly. The interface has become noticeably smoother and faster, applications also began to load faster. How did they do it?

The creators of MIUI 9 have improved the features Google Android 7.0, in particular - dynamic memory allocation in favor of the most important (that is, more often and more used) applications. Due to the use of most system resources at the time of launch, the speed of loading applications from scratch increased noticeably. We compared the speed of the same Mi5 on MIUI 8 and MIUI 9 and recorded the process on video. For clarity, we edited the video so that the applications were launched simultaneously, that is, if possible, we removed the human factor from the comparison.

In addition, cleaning algorithms have been improved system cache, various kinds of file garbage and so on. Full list The changes “under the hood” can be seen in the illustration below.

In other words, statements that Xiaomi developers have seriously redesigned the internal logic of their own firmware can be believed. Compare the results of synthetic tests of the same Mi5, one of which has MIUI 8 China Developer Weekly installed, the other with MIUI 9 Global Developer Weekly.

But how things stand with autonomy is not yet entirely clear. The first version of the new firmware, dated August 24, caused a significant decrease in battery life: if previously the smartphone consistently had enough full charge for a day, then after the update, under the same operating scenario, it began to ask for an outlet twice during this time. However, the update on August 31 returned everything to normal - obviously, work in this area is still underway, and it is too early to make a final verdict. Nevertheless, here is the result shown by the PCMark autonomy test on firmware 7.8.31:

Which devices will receive the update and when?

There is no official list of devices that will be updated to MIUI 9, but judging by rumors, the update will not reach Xiaomi Mi1, Mi1S and Mi2A smartphones, while owners of all other Xiaomi smartphones have every reason to count on official release The firmware will be released at the end of September - beginning of October this year.

conclusions

The developers kept their main promise: MIUI 9 really functions faster than its predecessor. It is not yet clear whether the autonomy will still be as great, but the overall positive dynamics give hope that there will be improvements here too. The firmware did not take up more space on the drive: on the experimental Mi5 it was 10.73 out of 64 GB (including the OS). But it brought many useful and pleasant innovations - not everything we expected at once, but future updates remain.

Xiaomi has released a new version of its own graphical shell, based on the latest Android operating system. What's new in MIUI 10? And why new interface will faster than lightning. Overview of changes, list of devices and release schedule for Xiaomi smartphones.

The first news about the tenth version began in early 2018, then the vice president of the department Software, Juan Longjon.

Fans could only wait for the official presentation and find out the update release schedule for their Xiaomi phone model.

MIUI 10 review – what's new?

Let's look at the main changes that await users in new version MIUI.

1. The appearance of the notification panel will change. The interface will be similar to – large round icons, active functions are highlighted in blue.

2. New notifications. It will be possible to hide the extra panel to display more notifications.

3. New volume control. The volume slider will now be positioned vertically.

4. New preview applications running in background, which improves the usability of a full-screen smartphone.

The manager presents an overview of the last four (up to six) applications in a vertical format. The list can be scrolled up or down.

5. New versions of original Mi applications (Weather, Mi Drop, Mi Music, Mi Video and others).

6. Improved control gestures.

7. Added new functions using algorithms artificial intelligence(AI). For example, for a camera - improving the quality of photographs, portrait mode and blur background for phones with one camera.

9. Improved ecosystem management smart home Mi Home using your phone (supports more than 600 brands).

10. Added battery optimization function.

11. New sound design and system sounds.

12. A special mode for drivers, which will help you be as focused as possible on driving without being distracted by your smartphone.

By the way, at the presentation of MIUI 10 they showed a slide comparing the speed of Mi Mix 2S and iPhone X. In most tests Xiaomi smartphone with installed new firmware overtook a competitor.

Which smartphones will receive MIUI 10?

Most Xiaomi smartphones will be able to update, except for models using outdated versions operating system Android 5.0 Lollipop and below.

The full list of smartphones that will receive MIUI 10 is presented in this article:

The list of devices includes both Redmi and . Of course they will be priority latest news, including the flagship.

MIUI 10 release date

The official release date is June 2018.

Active beta testing began on June 1, 2018 Chinese version MIUI 10 China Stable firmware. Therefore, experienced users can try the “ten” right now if they wish. Provided that:

Do you have one of next smartphones: Mi 6, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix 2s or Redmi Note 5.
You understand that you are installing beta firmware, which may contain errors.
You do not forget to make timely backup copies of all important data, and take responsibility for your actions.

In turn, the developers welcome all submitted bug reports. Since they are speeding up the release stable firmware for most Xiaomi users.

MIUI 10 release schedule

The developers have drawn up a release schedule for the Chinese version of the firmware. The update will take place in three stages.

1st stage

Mi 8 / 8 SE,
Mi Mix/2/2s,
Mi 6/6X,
Mi 5,
Mi Note 2,
Redmi S2,
Redmi Note 5.

2nd stage

Start – end of June.

Release of stable Chinese beta firmware MIUI 10 for smartphones of the 1st stage of distribution.

3rd stage

Mi Note 3,
Mi 4/4c/4S,
Mi 5X/5c/5s/5s Plus,
Mi Max/Prime/Max 2,
Redmi 5 / 5A / 5 Plus / Note 5A / Note 5A Prime,
Redmi 4 / 4X / 4A / Note 4 Qualcomm / Note 4X,
Redmi 3S/3X,
Redmi Pro,
Redmi Note 3 Qualcomm.

At the end of July, developers can expand the list by adding several new models. The Redmi Note 4 MTK version will also receive the update. But owners of this device should be prepared for the fact that in the case of an old OS, most of the features will not be available.

The stable global version of MIUI for each model will be released with a delay of two weeks to a month.

Therefore, if you are not used to waiting. An alternative would be popular custom firmware that supports the Russian language.

The developers themselves advise not to rush and wait timely updates global version from minimum quantity critical errors.

Xiaomi presented to the public on May 10 last year updated version MIUI 8. The shell was shown at the presentation of the new MiMax smartphone.

Mass version of MIUI 8 for most Xiaomi devices published on July 16. This is what we will be talking about in this review.

What's new?

The updated version of MIUI 8 has received a whole load of useful goodies that were not present in previous versions of the shell.

From the first elements of animation and interface, it is immediately clear that there are even a lot of visual changes in the new MIUI. And those functions that were in MIUI before have now become more convenient and advanced.

Among the most important innovations, we note the energy saving mode, redesigned fonts, updated standard applications, brighter design, logical interface.

By the way, Xiaomi reported that MIUI 8 will work on a number of devices:

Mi (2, 2s, 3, 4, 4S, 4C, i5);
Redmi (2, 3, 3 Pro);
Redmi (Note 2, 3, 3 Pro);
Mi Note and Mi Note Pro;
Mi Max.

Design

And so, the theater begins with a hanger, and acquaintance with the new MIUI with visual effects. The developers did a good job with the MIUI design. The redesign affected almost everything from the notification shade to the font.

The shell received a logically designed interface and a calmer color palette. In short, MIUI has become even brighter, more modern and easier.

The notification shade has become clearer. By default, all switches in MIUI 8 are displayed on one line.

Above the icons, the developers have placed a weather widget. It changes depending on the time of day, which is very funny.

The developers worked with the library background images. New images have been added to the “wallpaper” carousel.

Now the user will have 12 different categories, which feature images from 50 suppliers.

Another important visual change is the update of the font, which Xiaomi called Mi Lanting.

The font, like the entire shell, has become lighter, the characters have been made more centered and easier to read.

Xiaomi claims that now users will be able to read from smartphone screens for six hours a day without the risk of eye strain.

New gallery

The updated gallery is worth mentioning separately. In MIUI 8, the application received a whole lot of various changes and improvements.

Users were given new tools for processing photos and videos.

Here is a list of these possibilities:

New photo filters;
Ability to draw on the image;
Stickers on photos;
Simple sharing;
Multiple selection of pictures;
Adding music and subtitles to a recording.

The developers also worked on others standard programs. The QR code scanner, for example, now has the ability to work together with a calculator.

The user can scan a mathematical problem with a scanner, and the smartphone will provide a step-by-step solution.

In addition, the QR scanner in MIUI 8 will be able to search similar images or even products based on photographs.

Calculator

The calculator at Xiaomi has also been thoroughly redesigned. Previously, the application could only count (what else can you expect from such programs?).

Now the developers have “taught” the calculator to do complex calculations. Including using formulas, changing numbers as calculations progress.

Separately, it is worth noting that Xiaomi’s proprietary calculator has learned to convert almost all units of measurement known to mankind.

Another important update affected Notes. They have now become more secure from unwanted access.

Xiaomi rightly judged that the user has the right to privacy and finally gave him the opportunity to restrict access to important records.

Access to them in MIUI 8 can be protected using a fingerprint and password. There are also not so critical, but also important changes in the application.

Since its inception, the MIUI shell has attracted attention for its originality, sophistication and a huge number of settings, making it very flexible in terms of changes. appearance. On this moment A huge number of firmware versions have already been released for a wide variety of smartphones, not only from Xiaomi, but also from other vendors.

For the current day current version MIUI firmware is serial number 9.

At the presentation, company representatives spoke mainly about innovations that are “under the hood” and are not visible to the average user at first glance, but despite this, they provide a new user experience due to increased speed and responsiveness of the interface.

We'll talk about these changes today.

Appearance

If we talk about general impression from the new version, then in terms of appearance compared to MIUI 8, the changes are minimal. The interface remains true to the concept Material Design with its flat, laconic icons and calm colors. Some icons and widgets were redrawn, and previously missing menu items were added. For fans of stock Android, they added a theme called Limitless, the icons of which resemble those in the seventh version of the “pure robot”.

Lock screen

Lock screen received new feature in the form of a panel quick access to additional functions such as Mi Remote and Mi Home, as well as turning on the flashlight. You can access this panel by swiping to the right on the lock screen.

There is reason to believe that the functionality of this panel quick launch will be expanded over time additional services and applications that the user can add to this panel. For now, we are content with what we have.

Desktop

Externally, it has not undergone any significant changes and looks the same as in MIUI 8, but the main innovations are hidden inside, in the settings.

To get into the desktop settings, you need to use your fingers in the usual way. previous versions"Pinch" movement on the main screen.

The desktop settings menu itself is now represented by three items: wallpaper, widgets and, in fact, settings.

A preview function has appeared for widgets, which allows you to evaluate how a particular widget will look on your desktop before installation.

In addition, the standard clock widget has changed. Now it can display the weather. The appearance of something is always a matter of taste, but for example, I like the weather widget to be transparent and display only the information itself without unnecessary backgrounds and other graphic elements. It seems that Xiaomi thinks the same.

The function of mass transfer of application icons from one desktop or folder to another desktop or folder deserves special attention.

Now you don’t need to drag and drop icons one by one, spending a lot of time on this. Similar solutions have already been encountered previously in shells from other manufacturers, but the peculiarity of this method in MIUI 9 is that when dragging, you do not need to scroll through the desktops - they are displayed at the bottom of the screen, where you can drag a pack of previously selected icons.

In desktop settings you can assign main screen, and also choose the style of flipping through desktops, which is not a unique feature, but the presence of this feature is pleasing. The choice of animation types is small; shells from third-party manufacturers that are popular on PlayMarket often have a much more impressive arsenal of styles for flipping desktops, which remains unclaimed. Perhaps that is why the authors of MIUI 9 decided to limit themselves to the most popular options. You can fix the arrangement of icons, prohibiting changes.

The changed animation for opening and closing applications deserves special attention.

Now it looks as if the application is floating out of the icon and filling up the desktop space. Closing the application is accompanied by its minimization into an icon. In addition, when the application is minimized, the icon also has animation. For example, when folding the dialer handset the application icon fluctuates.

Icon animation is only available for standard set these same icons.

Multi-window mode

Many people were waiting for this functionality back in MIUI 8, but from standard Android 7 multi-window mode migrated only to MIUI 9.

To run two applications on one screen, you need to enter the menu of recently launched applications and at the top tap on the “split screen” button that appears there, after which we simply drag the application we need to the area that appears in the upper half of the screen. The size of the area occupied by applications can be adjusted by simply dragging the divider to the desired distance. If you simply double-tap on the dividing strip, the applications will switch places. To exit multi-window mode, simply drag the divider all the way up or down.

Multi-window mode works in both vertical and horizontal orientation.

Moreover, most applications now work in both portrait and landscape orientations.

Migrated from Android 7 to MIUI 9 standard function switching between previously launched applications. If you open two applications in turn and then double-click the menu button, the system will switch you to the previous one. open application. And so on in a circle.

It is very convenient when you need to rewrite something from one application to another, but there is no way to copy the information.

Customizable Silent Mode

When you press the volume key, a notification pops up with an indicator, with which you can manually adjust the volume level, as well as turn on “silent mode” or “do not disturb” mode (the volume of various notifications can be adjusted separately.). Both modes are customizable. For silent mode, you can select the time for which it will be turned on - indefinite mute, for certain time. For the Do Not Disturb mode, the settings are more flexible - you can set this mode to turn on on a schedule.

Well, since we started talking about the implementation of notifications, let’s dwell on this point in more detail, since there is also something to talk about here.

It is now possible to respond to messages from the notification itself, without going to the application. To do this, in the notification shade you need to expand the notification with two fingers, after which the “Reply” button will appear, after clicking on which we will be asked to enter a response.

If you swipe a notification to the left, you will be able to mark it as unimportant, after which it will collapse into the “Unimportant” folder, which is displayed there in the panel. In this case, notifications from this application will continue to arrive, but will not disturb you with sound. The folder itself can also be swiped from the panel so that it does not bother us.

Gallery

First of all, attention is drawn to the redesigned photo editor, which, firstly, began to work noticeably faster, and secondly, acquired a large number of convenient tools for photo editing, including preset filters.

Added face search and compression source images to save space in cloud storage. Both of these features appear to have been stolen from Google.

Also, a smart search algorithm (Universal Search) was announced for the gallery, which should allow searching based on what is shown in the photo. Essentially, this is a kind of analogue of Google Photo with its ability to sort images by content. But at the moment this function is only relevant for China.

Another similar function – searching for any information on a smartphone (Smart Assistant) – is also only relevant for China.

Whether these tools will be available to users around the world is unknown, as is the timing.

There is an unusual function - launching applications by context (Smart App Launcher). When you open certain menu items, it suggests similar or suitable applications, analyzing the information located on the desktop.

Now let's talk about changes that do not concern the appearance of the firmware.

At the presentation, a lot of time was spent talking about the work that was done to speed up and optimize the functioning of the system as a whole.

It turned out that these are not empty words - applications actually launch quickly. Very fast. If there are delays, they are minimal and almost imperceptible, and then only if we're talking about about applications that have not been launched before. Previously running applications open with lightning speed. This was achieved through the use of several tools:

dynamic memory allocation – speeding up application launches by redistributing system resources in favor of the most frequently launched applications and processes;
new file system;
optimization of the system core;
improving the systematization of the “cache”;
adding real-time system defragmentation.

Conclusion

The main promises that the company made before launching the update have been fulfilled. The system actually began to work noticeably faster. The interface received long-awaited functions that made using MIUI more convenient, while the size of the firmware itself did not increase. If we talk about autonomy, then no increase or decrease in operating time was noticed, which is more of a plus than a minus.

In the future, considering regular updates firmware from Xiaomi, we can expect corrections of roughness in the operation of some services, and knowing about the company’s plans to enter the American market, we can hope for global launch some tools that are currently only available to users in China.

Hello friends. At the end of 2017, we told you about the innovations in MIUI 9; that article was relevant for those who are already familiar with the shell and would like to understand what new features they will receive after the update. Today we have prepared detailed review the entire shell listing all the functions and capabilities that are present in it.

Launcher

Since the very first versions, MIUI has had the principle of “all applications on the desktop”, so separate menu There are no programs in the launcher. This solution has both pros and cons. On the one hand, this approach encourages maintaining order on the desktop, on the other hand, if you don’t sort programs into folders, then the screens will be a mess.

Initially, a 4x5 grid is used; on devices with large displays, 4x6 and 5x6 options are available. You can also change the screen scrolling animation in the settings.

Interestingly, a long press does not bring up the widget panel; to access them you need to pinch with two fingers.

In the settings you can select the default screen, enable autofill empty cells and protect the launcher from changes. My mother has a Xiaomi Mi Max 2, I specifically enabled this option for her so that her icons wouldn’t accidentally fly off, it’s convenient.

Until recently, almost all icons in MIUI had an ugly white border, but in Nine the “Infinity” theme appeared, in which each application has a default icon.

Separately, I note that flipping through desktops - strong point MIUI is still with Android 2.1, the shell in this regard is very fast.

Dialer

Xiaomi has one of the best built-in dialers, its analogue exDialer is very popular application, I install this program on almost every new smartphone.

The digital pad supports Smart Dial - you just need to enter the first letters of the contact's first or last name, and the application will immediately find it.

The contacts themselves are sorted in the following order: favorites go first, and then all the rest in alphabetical order. If desired, in the settings you can select sorting by first or last name.

If you assigned a photo through a Google account, then when you call, MIUI will crop it at the edges so that it is displayed on the entire screen. It looks ugly and sloppy, as the image detail decreases.

In the settings you can enable recording of all calls or calls from certain contacts. I can’t help but note that when using an iPhone, I sometimes miss this feature.

Call screen

During a call, a call recording is available, a contact photo is displayed, you can quickly open a note or put the call on hold.

SMS

Application for SMS standard, it doesn’t have any special capabilities; unfortunately, it doesn’t even know how to quickly mark messages from the curtain as read.