MIUI 9: what’s Xiaomi bringing to the table for its Android skin?

Xiaomi is almost ready to push out MIUI 9, being the latest version of its take on Android. So what should you expect from the new skin?

For starters, the Chinese firm notes that MIUI 9 will come with three new default themes (seen in featured image), although no English names have been given for them just yet. A revised lockscreen shortcut screen has also been introduced, being accessible by swiping right from your lockscreen. From here, you’ll find shortcuts for the torch, Mi Remote and other tools.

Split-screen multitasking, first introduced on the Mi Max 2, has also finally made its way to MIUI, and it seems to deliver pop out video playback as well. This feature is expected to hit the Redmi Note 4X, Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi Max 2, Mi 6, Mi Note 2 and Mi Mix, for starters.

The company has also opted to remove several features to reduce the size of the skin, in the form of Child Mode, WiWide (for public WiFi), Contact Card, Showtime and others.

Users can also apply for the beta but this is for the China ROM only, rather than the global ROM seen in India, South Africa and other locales.

More MIUI 9 details are expected to be revealed tomorrow (26 July), when Xiaomi launches the Mi 5X smartphone in China. The device, which has already been revealed in images, packs a dual-camera setup, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a distinctly iPhone-like hardware design.