Xiaomi takes the smartphone sales crown(arstechnica.com) |
Xiaomi takes the smartphone sales crown(arstechnica.com) |
https://www.mi.com/global/service/support/security-update-1....
The only exception is Xiaomi's Android One "A" line, which is now discontinued.
So if you want a Xiaomi and care about security, simply remove the bootloader lock and install LineageOS. Some models are officially supported by LineageOS.
LineageOS provides timely Android security updates, but only the manufacturer can provide vendor security patches even when a custom OS is installed. If Xiaomi did this monthly, its phones would be as hacker-friendly as Google's Pixel phones.
This could have been a race between Xiaomi and Huawai but trump decided against that.
I wonder if xiaomi will do that as well.
If Xiaomi went ahead and locked bootloaders on their own will (instead of gov't requiring it), they would be crushing the same thing that allowed them to become successful.
When i bought my Redmi 4a, as a backup phone, i had to root it and flash with lineageos, because the amount of telemetry that phone was sending somewhere was straight up absurd. Same story with Mi 8.
Xiaomi's update schedule isn't terrible, but it's disappointing that even its flagship devices only get quarterly updates, while other brands including Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, and Realme commit to monthly or at least bi-monthly updates for their flagships.
https://www.nextpit.com/how-many-android-updates-manufacture...
Not everyone is willing or able to flash another OS onto their phones, and considering its success, Xiaomi can afford to do better to protect its users with more timely updates.
I did wonder then if locking bootloader could be at request of govt (cue Huawei paranoia).
Perhaps it is a feature not used often enough to justify costs of warranty service/complaints to manufacturer (kids bricking their phone).