Xiaomi introduces MIUI 13 with accent on privacy and enhanced security
Xiaomi had a big event today, filled with many announcements. Lei Jun, CEO and co-founder of the company, has opened the stage with the revealing of MIUI 13 - the latest user interface which will have improved privacy featured and enhanced security.
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It will also allow multiple Xiaomi devices in one network to cooperate like never before, including phones, tablets, TV, smart wearables, smart home devices, and the XiaoAI voice assistant.
Privacy is a crucial concern for smartphone users, so Xiaomi implemented a three-step verification process, although it sounds like it could work in certain regions. The base layer is facial recognition, followed by watermark reading of the user’s ID, and then there’s a so-called “electronic fraud protection”.
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The facial recognition is upper-body recognition. The user sets its face, but the phone records everything from the waist up, so other people with different body structures won’t be allowed in, even if they have a similar face.
The “electronic fraud protection” has a record of websites and devices that might bring malware. Also, there is a full phonebook of numbers that will be saved as nefarious, and the user of the phone will be informed before he accepts the call.
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Xiaomi also brought a new font for the MIUI 13, called means. It is commercially free for download, and people will install it. It is a sans-serif font that simplifies letters, signs, numbers. Removing the ornaments is one thing, but Xiaomi also made the font more symmetrical, both in spacing and the appearance of characters.
Looks-wise, not only the font but the colors are also changing. All phones on MIUI 13 will receive new wallpaper options, where flowers will bloom from one side of the screen when powered. There are also plenty of widgets redesigned to align better in a grid.
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Another significant change for MIUI 13 is the availability on other devices. Xiaomi developed MIUI 13 Pad, which is designed for tablets, despite having a modest number of models. It is specifically developed to work on big screens, and while there’s no word whether the Mi Mix Fold will get it, we think it should because the accent here is multitasking.
According to the company, over 3000 apps were already developed to support the feature. It will come with Pad-specific gestures such as dragging, pinch-to-resize, drag-and-drop, or opening an app directly into a small window.
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The big question is when the MIUI 13 be available, and the answer is “very soon”. It will hit the Xiaomi 12 and Xiaomi Mi 11 series as early as January 2022 and reach several Redmi TVs. Yes, that’s right - MIUI 13 is also designed with Redmi and Poco in mind, which are entirely independent brands.
