MIUI 10 Unveiled: Check if Your Phone Will Get It Too

MIUI 10 was unveiled by Xiaomi at its annual launch event on Thursday, which also saw the launch of the Mi 8. The Chinese company claims that its newest Android-based operating system is powered by AI. One of the biggest highlights of MIUI 10 is the AI Portrait feature, which offers software-based Bokeh functionality on any smartphone running the new operating system - whether single camera or dual camera. Xiaomi at the event also detailed other new features that would arrive with MIUI 10, including a new Recents widget, AI Preload, and integrated smart home device support. The company also revealed timelines for the launch of the China Developer ROM, as well as a list of eligible devices.

Xiaomi Phones Eligible for MIUI 10

Starting with the eligible devices, MIUI 10 will come to a number of smartphones in the company's portfolio, according to Xiaomi. Starting today, June 1, the closed beta MIUI 10 China Developer ROM will be available for Mi 8, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix, Mi 6X, Mi 6, Mi 5, Mi Note 2, Redmi S2, and Redmi Note 5 smartphones. The public beta has been slated for late-June, with the same eligible devices. In late July, the public beta will be made available for the Mi Note 3, Mi 5X, Mi 5c, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus, Mi 4, Mi 4c, Mi 4S, Mi Max 2, Mi Max, Redmi 5, Redmi 5A, Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, Redmi 4X, Redmi 3S/ Redmi 3X, Redmi Pro, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi Note 4 Qualcomm/ Redmi Note 4X, Redmi Note 4 (MediaTek), and Redmi Note 3 (Qualcomm). Note, these are just the devices in the first beta update list, and the stable update is likely to be rolled out to a greater number of devices.

Let's start with MIUI 10's AI Portrait feature. The company says users with smartphones running MIUI 10 will be able to take Bokeh depth-of-field shots without requiring a dual camera setup. The feature is software based, using algorithms to identify the foreground and blur out the background.

MIUI 10's new Recents widget

Next up in MIUI 10 is the new Recents widget, which now features a new layout that maximises screen space, supports full screen gestures, lets users swipe to delete tasks, and long press to get more options.

Another new feature in MIUI 10 is AI Preload, which the company claims will help reduce load times for apps and native UI functions to zero, as the software would have already preloaded the app based on the user's usage patterns.

MIUI 10's smart home integration

Finally, Xiaomi also said it is bringing the ability to control Mi Ecosystem devices directly to MIUI 10, without the need of a secondary app for the purpose. For now, not much else has been detailed by Xiaomi about MIUI 10, but you can check out the video above if you understand Mandarin.

Also at the event, Xiaomi launched the Mi 8 SE, Mi 8 Explorer Edition, and Mi Band 3 at the event.