Xiaomi has officially launched its latest version of its custom Android firmware, MIUI 8, in India. The new operating system comes with a plethora of new additions, and we are going to be taking a loot at some of the most important ones here.
MIUI 8 has an option called 2nd space, which basically lets you have different apps, photos, contacts, etc on the same phone, compared to the 1st space. So it is like two phones in one. These are unlocked with their own patterns.
You get different notifications for each Space.
Similarly, there is a feature called Dual Apps in MIUI 8. This allows you to have two copies of the same app, so you can have different accounts on each.
Yes, this means you can use two WhatsApp accounts on the same dual SIM Xiaomi/Redmi phone.
MIUI 8 comes with some advanced dialer options including T9 Hindi Search, and T9 Business Search. The dialer in MIUI 8 comes with an advanced Caller ID, which can not only identify the caller in incoming and outgoing calls, but also display more information about the number, in case the caller is from a service like Amazon, Dominos, etc.
Likewise, the SMS app in MIUI 8 also has a new feature. While MIUI 7 has grouping for SMS from companies, MIUI 8 takes de-cluttering to the next level by displaying the company logo for each conversation. And in case you get an SMS from your network provider, you can simply tap the recharge now button in the MIUI 8 SMS app, to recharge your number using Mobikwik.
MIUI has the tagline Simplify your life, and certainly these features intend to do just that. There are two more advanced features in MIUI 8. First is the Quick Ball, which is sort of a sidebar or a quick launcher, which you can customize to quickly launch your favorite apps.
The amazing #MIUI8 Quick Ball feature – how would you use it? Tell Mi!https://t.co/hdhCodxwTR
— Xiaomi India (@XiaomiIndia) June 30, 2016
The other advanced feature in MIUI 8 is called Scrolling Screenshot or Long Screenshot.
Taking a screenshot will never be the same again with #MIUI8 – Scrolling Screenshot! RT if you love this feature!https://t.co/bJuYh8wvEg
— Xiaomi India (@XiaomiIndia) June 30, 2016
MIUI 8 Launch Date in India:
MIUI 8 will be released in a public beta on July 11th, while the Stable version will be released on August 16th.
Here is the list of devices which will get MIUI 8 in India:
- Xiaomi Mi 5
- Xiaomi Mi Max
- Xiaomi Mi Note
- Xiaomi Mi4i
- Xiaomi Mi 4
- Xiaomi Mi 3
- Xiaomi Mi 2
- Redmi Note 3
- Redmi Note 2
- Redmi Note Prime
- Redmi Note Note
- Redmi Note 2 Prime
- Redmi2
- Redmi 1s
The update will be available at en.miui.com and the company’s India centric community portal, c.mi.com. It is unclear which devices will be getting MIUI 8 based on Marshmallow. But many posts on the company’s forums indicate that flagship devices like the Mi 4 and Mi 5 (which came with Android 6.0 Marshmallow) are running on MIUI 8 based on Marshmallow.
Popular devices like the Redmi Note 3 are still on MIUI 8 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop, while a Marshmallow based ROM is being tested in a closed beta. Hopefully we will get it soon.
