Xiaomi Mi A1 February update finally arrives





The whole of February passed by and Xiaomi’s debut Android One smartphone didn’t get the security patch for the month. Understandably, users were unhappy (to put it mildly), and the future looked uncertain for the Mi A1 February update.

Well, the good news is the update has finally started rolling out. Multiple users are confirming the update has arrived on their device, with some specifically mentioning they are not beta testers, which means this is the public roll out of the February patch.

The update weighs in at around 87MB. As for changes, there’s currently no specific information available – the update notification just says security and stability-related improvements, performance optimizations, and bug fixes.

For those who aren’t aware why there has been so much outcry over Xiaomi missing the deadline for the February patch, the January update – which also included Oreo – brought along some major issues like excessive battery drain as well as fingerprint sensor and camera problems. The Chinese company promised to fix these issues in the next update (the February one).

As the roll out has just begun, it’s not yet confirmed whether or not these problems have been fixed with the new update. However, we’ll keep an eye, and update you with this information in the near future. Oh, and yes, whenever you get the update, do share your experience with us.



This post has been edited by jovigrunge: Mar 9 2018, 01:53 PM

The updates might have delayed but still better than MIUI update waiting period.

I don't think the issue here is about updates, it's more about the addiction of switching new phone by following the latest phone trend on the market.

Xiaomi releases Oreo kernel source code for the Mi A1

Xiaomi promised that the Mi A1 would receive Oreo by the end of 2017, and the company hit a buzzer-beater by rolling out Android 8.0 to the Android One device on December 30th. But the kernel source code was nowhere to be found, a violation of the GNU General Public License, version 2 (GPLv2), and an affront to the development and enthusiast community. It's about two-and-a-half months late, but Xiaomi has finally released the Android 8.0 Oreo source code for the Mi A1.

The Oreo source code can be found at GitHub (branch "tissot-o-oss"). The last time we saw Xiaomi release kernel source code for the Mi A1, it was for Nougat at the end of January. Owners of the phone who are open to flashing things can now look forward to Oreo-based custom ROMs and mods to come.

The Mi A1 is Xiaomi's first Android One device, and by at least two accounts it's a fantastic budget smartphone. A well-designed phone that has stock Android, a healthy dev community, and a price tag of about $200 has a lot going for it. Now let's see what happens with Android 8.1

7 Best Gallery Apps for Xiaomi Mi A1

Since Xiaomi Mi A1 runs on stock Android, it comes with Google Photos. There is no separate gallery app installed on the Mi A1. Many people don’t like the Google Photos app and are looking for Google Photos alternatives. If you are one of them, we have handpicked seven best gallery apps for your brand new Mi A1.

The Mi A1 is the first Android One phone from Xiaomi and comes with some incredible features like dual camera and stock Android. However, the lack of a proper gallery app is annoying many users. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the world of gallery apps.


1. SIMPLE GALLERY

Don't let the name deceive you. Simple Gallery is one of the cleanest and more polished gallery apps available on the Play Store for your Mi A1.

This app shows your pictures and videos in a folder view. However, if you want to view all the photos, the app also provides that function. The feature is two steps away under the three-dot menu. And that’s the only drawback this app has.



Simple Gallery supports videos and GIFs too. It comes with a built-in video player. This app also provides multiple ways to sort and view media. You can even copy and move media.

You can also filter media and view only images, videos or GIFs. The app also lets you change the column count. You can also customize the colors and themes of the app.



Besides the built-in photo editor that lets you perform simple tasks like rotate and flip, you can also hide media using this app. Interestingly, you can even pin the folders to the top.


2. A+ GALLERY - PHOTOS & VIDEOS

If I had to grade this gallery app, it'd deserve an A+ like its name. When you open the app, you will find three tabs — Photos, Online, and Albums.

The Photos tab shows all your photos sorted by the time. The most recent ones are shown at the top and so on. You can change the view to a month-and-year format too.



The Online tab shows the photos in your cloud accounts. If you have images on Facebook, Dropbox, etc., all of them will be shown in this tab. The Albums tab, as is obvious, shows the photos in albums.

A+ Gallery also provides multiple ways to sort and view data. It also supports themes and offers a secure vault where you can hide your media.



Interestingly, the app lets you search photos in various ways. You can search by date, album or color, which is really cool.

The only drawback of this app is that it comes with ads. Many times, a user thinks the image is a part of the app, but it’s actually an ad. If the ads bother you too much, you can always buy the premium version that costs $0.93 only.


3. QUICKPIC - PHOTO GALLERY WITH GOOGLE DRIVE SUPPORT

If you ask anyone which third-party gallery app they use, the answer will be QuickPic. It is one of the oldest gallery apps that continues to dominate this area.

The default view of QuickPic shows different folders. While you can view the data month-wise, this app doesn’t provide a function to view all pictures without any folders. You can, however, include or exclude folders from the list. This Android gallery app also lets you copy and move files.



Notably, you can connect to multiple online services like Google Drive, Dropbox etc. with QuickPic. You can also share media using the native file transfer function. This app also focuses on privacy and lets you hide photos on your Mi A1.

4. PIKTURES - BEAUTIFUL GALLERY

While some Xiaomi Mi A1 users will like this app, others may hate it. We say this because the layout is slightly different than the other gallery apps. When you open this app, it will show all your photos. You can switch to a month view by tapping the calendar icon at the top.



If you're looking for folders, they can be found under the three-bar icon at the top-left corner. The app also lets you go to the list of abums by pressing the back button on the app home screen.

You can manually sort the folder albums using drag-and-drop or sort it by name and date. Besides a native super convenient QR code scanner, the app also extracts text from images.



Further, you can resize the photos before sharing them. It also supports Chromecast and does not have ads. Thankfully, this Android app also lets you move and copy media without using any file explorer.


5. F-STOP GALLERY

F-Stop Gallery makes it convenient to view media on your Mi A1. While the default way to view pictures is the folder view, it gives you multiple ways to categorize the pictures. You can view videos separately and also view all media.



You can even add tags and ratings to your picture. Then, based on those, you can search for them separately. All these functions are easily accessible from the navigation drawer of the app.

In addition to that, you can pin and bookmark folders. You can also add cloud services to this app. Besides print, the app also lets you copy, move, and rename the media files.


6. A+ GALLERY PRO - PHOTOS AND ALBUMS

A simple app that fulfills its responsibility of being a good gallery app. With no extra features, the app focuses on individual photos and albums.

When you open the app, you'll find two tabs – All and Albums. The All tab shows all the pictures sorted by date. The Album tab shows the media albums or folders on your Mi A1.



It lists the total number of files, folders and the space occupied by the media. Similar to this app, another app, which is known as Gallery also lists the total number of media files.


7. GALLERY PRO

If you're looking for a gallery app that has native powerful edit features such as filters, borders etc., you should definitely try the Gallery Pro app. With this app, you can also rotate, flip, and crop photos.



If you don’t like the categorization of photos by albums, you can sort them according to Locations, Times, People, and even Tags.

Welcome to the club!

Nice!

Mi A1 GCam Vs Redmi Note 5 PRO Camera Battle | Portrait

Nothing special. Battery power lower than current model.

I agree. I'll skip....

This is not about the phone being sensitive. It's a shortcut button to snap photos.

Me!

Xiaomi denies claims of Mi A2, will launch Android One devices in future

Xiaomi hints at rolling out Android One devices in the future, but the Mi A2 isn’t going to be the next one.



When Xiaomi launched the Mi A1 last year, the market went berserk as the product combined two of the best entities of the smartphone industry — Xiaomi’s appreciable build quality married with the goodness of stock Android. The Mi A1 sold like hot cakes, with the company struggling to manage its production. However, the Mi A1 is out of stock since early 2018 and there hasn’t been any update on its availability. The coinciding launch of the Mi 6X also suggested that Xiaomi could be replacing the Mi A1 with the rumoured Mi A2. However, that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

In a recent conversation with Digit, a Xiaomi spokesperson suggested that there’s no such product in the pipeline by the name of Mi A2. However, the company will be launching smartphones under the Android One banner in the future. Xiaomi didn’t mention the timeline for such Android One devices though.

The Mi A1 was essentially a rebranded Mi 5X running a cleaner and bloat-free version of Android One ROM. Xiaomi did roll out the Android Oreo 8.0 to the A1 earlier this year, thus keeping up with the promise of rolling out the latest Android update. Lately, though, the Mi A1 has been lagging behind in terms of security updates and hasn’t tasted Android 8.1.1. The smartphone has also been out of stock for a while and stocks haven’t been replenished yet.

Therefore, it was on this basis that that rumours for the Mi A2 had been doing rounds of the market, considering the Mi 6X is already out in the market. There could be a possibility that Xiaomi could end up unveiling their next Android One phone by September, similar to the Mi A1’s launch timeline. The next Android One device could also be based on the existing Redmi Note 5 Pro.

Therefore, if you are seeking a stock Android phone and were waiting for Xiaomi’s Mi A2, we suggest you look at alternatives from Nokia and ASUS.

Disclaimer: The above report is completely based on online rumours and leaks from the respective sources. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Deccan Chronicle and/or other staff and contributors to this site.

Exclusive: Xiaomi denies Mi A2's existence, but will continue to make Android One phones
Xiaomi has denied the current existence of a phone with the moniker Mi A2, but says that it will make more Android One devices in the future.

UPDATE: After the story was published, Xiaomi reached out to Digit.in and clarified that the Mi A2 does not exist as of now and categorically refused to confirm whether there will be a phone with the same name in the future. The Mi A2, as clarified by Xiaomi, does not exist in any market that Xiaomi operates in, and as a result, there is no confirmation whether it will be coming to India or not.

The Mi A1 was a breath of fresh air with stock Android in an otherwise MIUI ruled roster of Xiaomi smartphones. Now, the internet is rife with the rumours of its successor, the Mi A2, which is speculated to launch soon as the rebranded Mi 6X that was unveiled back in April, in China. However, there is no concrete evidence of this and in an interaction with Digit.in, a source within the company told us that the Chinese smartphone-maker is not done with Android One devices just yet and more of them will be coming in the future. When asked about the Mi A2, a the Xiaomi representative said, "There is no phone that exists by that name. But we are going to make more Android One phones. "



The Mi A1 was announced in India last year as the rebranded Mi 5X and it took everyone by surprise. It ran on stock Android 7.1.2 Nougat and as a part of Android One program, was slated to receive timely updates with the promise of being updated to Android P. Even though Xiaomi pushes its own MIUI, it launched a phone with stock Android and it was just what their customers needed. Needless to say, it was well received and true to the Android One promise, has received the Android Oreo update as well.

The Xiaomi spokesperson also didn't reveal when the Android One offerings will be announced, neither did he entertain any queries about the pricing. But needless to say, Android One devices mean that Xiaomi is not giving up on stock Android just yet. The company held a poll recently on Twitter asking users whether they prefer MIUI or Stock Android. While that poll was deleted mid-way, an overwhelming number of users voted for stock Android so Xiaomi got its answer about what people prefer, which is reason enough to make a successor to the MiA1.

As mentioned earlier, the Mi 5X was rebranded as the Mi A1 and launched globally. This led to rumours of a potential successor when the Mi 6X launched in China earlier this year. The Mi 6X sports a 5.99-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC. The smartphone sports a USB Type-C port, is 7.6mm thick and is backed by a 3010mAh battery. The Xiaomi Mi 6X runs on MIUI 9.5.

Xiaomi is reportedly planning to launch another version of the Mi A2 dubbed as the Mi A2 Lite. The smartphone was recently spotted on a Singapore certification site, IMDA. The Mi A2 Lite is expected to flaunt a notch display along with a vertical dual rear camera setup.
It could sport a 5.84-inch full HD+ display along with a octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor. The dual-lens camera setup includes a 12MP primary sensor On the front, there is a 5-megapixel selfie camera. There is a 4,000mAh battery along with regular connectivity features and a fingerprint sensor.

Talking about the specifications of the Mi A2, the device is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor along with a 12MP+20MP dual-lens camera setup at the back. The device could come in two variants with 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM and run on Android Oreo operating system out of the box. While there is no official word from Xiaomi yet, it can be expected that Xiaomi will launch both Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite smartphones in India.

Get a refund.......

Xiaomi Is Now Pushing Android 8.1 Update For The Mi A1

Xiaomi’s first Android One smartphone, the Mi A1 is finally getting a new Android update. It received Android 8.0 Oreo on the last day of 2017 and now it’s being updated to Android 8.1.

The update is about 1.1GB in size and it also comes with a newer June Android security patch. At the time of writing, it isn’t available for Malaysian users yet but there are reports that it’s already available in India and the Philippines. You can check manually on your Mi A1 by going to Settings > About Phone > System Updates.

Android 8.1 is a minor incremental upgrade over Android 8.0. You get the ability to view battery level of your connected Bluetooth devices as well as a notification sound limiter. This restricts apps like Facebook Messenger from buzzing your device non-stop if you didn’t switch on a phone after a long time.

According to XDA Developers, there’s a potential bug with the update where your entire SMS history may be erased. It isn’t clear if Xiaomi would suspend the update roll out to fix this bug. If you do get the Android 8.1 update notification, it is advisable to backup your SMS first if it matters to you.

Xiaomi Is Now Pushing Android 8.1 Update For The Mi A1

Xiaomi’s first Android One smartphone, the Mi A1 is finally getting a new Android update. It received Android 8.0 Oreo on the last day of 2017 and now it’s being updated to Android 8.1.

The update is about 1.1GB in size and it also comes with a newer June Android security patch. At the time of writing, it isn’t available for Malaysian users yet but there are reports that it’s already available in India and the Philippines. You can check manually on your Mi A1 by going to Settings > About Phone > System Updates.

Android 8.1 is a minor incremental upgrade over Android 8.0. You get the ability to view battery level of your connected Bluetooth devices as well as a notification sound limiter. This restricts apps like Facebook Messenger from buzzing your device non-stop if you didn’t switch on a phone after a long time.

According to XDA Developers, there’s a potential bug with the update where your entire SMS history may be erased. It isn’t clear if Xiaomi would suspend the update roll out to fix this bug. If you do get the Android 8.1 update notification, it is advisable to backup your SMS first if it matters to you.

This post has been edited by jovigrunge: Jul 26 2018, 09:39 PM

Two bugs discovered after July update.

1. Led notification not blinking for messages or charging.

2. Bluetooth enable for no particular reason.

Anything else?

Why not? Every month software updates. Dual camera, GPS smooth and SD625 chipset not Mediatek...