As expected, Xiaomi has today globally launched the new MIUI7 ROM, which first debuted with Redmi Note 2 in China last week. The MIUI 7 beta version for Xiaomi phones like Redmi 2, Redmi 1S, Mi 3, Mi 4, Mi 4i, Redmi Note 3G and Redmi Note 4G, will be available for voluntary testers and developers starting August 24, 2015.
“MIUI 7 is a fresh new take on our immensely popular operating system, well-loved by over 150 million users. With more new system UIs to choose from, customised profile videos for calls using Showtime and a variety of personalisation options, MIUI 7 is truly ‘Yours by Design’,” Hugo Barra, Vice President, Xiaomi Global, said.
So, what’s new, you ask? A lot.
Different skins for different tastes
Remember how Xiaomi added a bucket load of colours to MIUI 6? This year too, design is at the forefront. The New MIUI 7 consists of 5 different interfaces, which should satiate all taste buds. You can choose from Rose, Pink Blush, Ocean Breeze, High Life and Standard UI.
Well, you can create your own theme too…
Further justifying “Yours by design” tagline, Xiaomi also adds a MUSE Theme creator tool which allows you to build your own themes, without using any programming skill. In India, Xiaomi will also introduce a feature which will rotate 10 HD wallpapers on lock screen, similar to Huawei’s Emotion UI 3.0. You can also choose to see current weather animation on lock screen.
Performance Improvements
MIUI 7 can reduce system response time by loading data and app animation in parallel. This makes it about 30% faster as compared to MIUI 6. Reportedly, the battery performance has also improved by 10 percent. This was achieved by individually optimizing all popular apps to behave while running in background.
MIUI 7 Performance Optimization
The convenience
To make your life easier, MIUI 7 brings along several smart features. It can detect OTP (one time passwords) from your SMSes and lets you easily copy-paste them at required destination. You can mute specific notifications separately and adjust font size to XXL to compensate for imperfect vision.
For Mi Band users, there is option to automatically put your phone in ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode when you are fast asleep.
And if you are a parent
MIUI 7 has a special section in Gallery app where it chronologically documents all your baby pictures. You can also set them rolling in a slide show on the lock screen. If you are new to parenthood, this is something that you will be delighted for.
On the other hand, if your kids are old enough to mess with your phone, there is a kid mode which restricts access to important apps and files.
Video Ringtones
You can add shot videos as ringtones and share them as part of contact cards with your friends. This sounds cool, but won’t be a part of initial build. The feature will be added sometime later.
Visual IVR Services
The company brings its visual IVR service to India in partnership with 50 brands including Snapdeal, HDFC, Pizza Hut, McDonalds, etc. When you call automated helplines for any of these partners, you will see the menu options listed on your screen.
Miscellaneous
MIUI 7 will support 10 Indian languages – Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Assamese and Punjabi. It also includes a data saver powered by Opera Max which compresses browser and in-app media, saving up to 50% of data usage.
MIUI 7 ROM will be based on Android 4.4 KitKat and Android Lollipop. You can apply for the beta version on MIUI forums. Global rollout will begin after Xiaomi works out all the kinks and once the ROM is more stable.
