14 DAY TRIAL // Today is a big day for Xiaomi, as the Chinese electronics company just launched a new version of its MIUI firmware, alongside the highly-anticipated Mi Max smartphone at an event in Beijing. Popularity of this firmware has increased over the past few months, as MIUI reached over 200 million users worldwide, up from 170 million in February this year.
The Mi Max smartphone is finally here and it comes with a 6.44-inch display (1920x1080 pixels), powered by a 4850 mAh battery, with a higher capacity than previous rumors implied. The ultra-thin metal body of just 7.5mm incorporates a powerful processor Snapdragon 652, with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
Mi Max features a fingerprint sensor, as well as dual SIM and 4G+ network support. Camera capabilities are more than satisfactory, 16MP in the rear and 5MP in the front, with 85-degree wide-angle lens. Mi Max is available in multiple colors, like white, gray and gold.
There are actually three price variants for the Mi Max, which differ based on specs. The most affordable variant is priced at ¥1499 ($230 / €202) and comes with 3GB of RAM, 32GB internal memory, and Snapdragon 650 processor. For a higher storage capacity of 64GB and Snapdragon 652, users would have to pay ¥1699 ($261 / €229). Finally, the top-tier model with 4GB of RAM, 128GB storage capacity and Snapdragon 652 costs ¥1999 ($307 / €269).
200 million global users base for MIUI
Popularity for this Android-based firmware will continue to increase, considering that Xiaomi brought a clear improvement in the latest version. MIUI 8 will come with a much-needed power saving mode that freezes background app activity and suspends, syncs, updates or background tasks. The mode can also detect scam and fraud messages for enhanced security.
Passcode and fingerprint security have been incorporated in the built-in Notes app, together with templates for sharing and grid view for better navigation. The Calculator app also received an update with advanced calculations and conversions.
MIUI 8 comes with a Scanner app that allows users to scan barcodes to search and purchase items online. Filters and stickers are integrated in the gallery, together with the option to freely doodle on photos. Enhanced video editing tools were added for cropping, adding filters, captions and even music.
Chinese users will be able to enjoy a new font called Mi Lansing, that redefines the reading experience and features centered characters. Xiaomi mentioned that 27,533 characters were manually tweaked for this font.
The MIUI 8 will be compatible with the Mi 2, Mi 2S, Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4C, Mi 4S, Mi 5, and the Mi Max in addition to all the phones in the Redmi series and the Mi Note. Beta testing will start on June 1 while registrations will kick off on May 16.
