Why is global firmware needed? Review of global firmware versions on Xiaomi

For new users Xiaomi smartphones and just newcomers to MIUI are often unclear about the types of firmware, their differences and why there are so many types of them at all. Therefore, many users simply do not update their devices or, on the contrary, wait for firmware updates that will never be updated. Questions on this topic take up the lion's share of all the questions we receive.

In this article we decided to conduct brief overview MIUI firmware and help you understand the whole variety of firmware, so that in the future you will know what it is “weekly”, “homemade” and what to expect from the firmware. So, let's remember our school notes. All MIUI firmware is divided into several types and subtypes.

BY ORIGIN

Initially, MIUI is presented in two versions: English-Chinese (China ROM) And global (Global ROM).

China ROM, "Anglo-Chinese" the version is aimed at China and is equipped various functions and software relevant only for China. From available languages it contains only English and Chinese, as the name suggests. We are not interested in her.

Global ROM, she's the same "Global", "Multilingual" in turn, is aimed at users outside of China and is not supplied with services for China, but on the contrary, they are installed Google services. There are many more languages available, including Russian and Ukrainian.

BY TYPE

Developer ROM, she's the same “Weekly”, “Developer”, "Beta". The developer firmware is the most current and innovative, as it receives all the innovations first. This firmware is official from Xiaomi itself and primarily it was created for advanced users to test innovations. It is updated every week, usually on Friday, with the exception of Chinese holidays and the presence of serious bugs, when the developers delay the release of the update. However, don't be alarmed if you encounter an error; most likely, it will be fixed by next Friday. And many users use the weekly firmware without worrying about bugs.

The name of the developer firmware release is the date of its release. For example, latest firmware is now called MIUI 8 6.11.3, which means it was released on November 3, 2016. The first digit is the year, the second is the month, the third is the day.

Stable ROM, she's the same “Stable”. This firmware, like the Weekly one, is official and released by the MIUI development team at Xiaomi. It is the main assembly and is a kind of standard: it is stable, all functions are debugged and optimized, all bugs that are found in weekly firmware. It is recommended to install it if you do not strive for all the innovations and associated bugs, but you need stable operation of the system without surprises. The name of stable firmware versions is not tied to the release date, but to the accumulated updates, so it is updated irregularly. Updates can come either once every two weeks or once every three months.

Ported ROM, she's the same “Custom”, “Unofficial”. Custom builds include various localized versions from third-party development teams, enthusiast builds, and firmware versions for smartphones from other smartphone brands. Custom builds are always based on the Stable or Weekly official builds. They can also be updated either once a week or at longer intervals. Many Custom builds are not updated over the air, so you will have to install them yourself each time.

Samopal ROM- this is a kind of subspecies, an offshoot from Custom firmware. We apologize for such a free interpretation of the names of these “versions” of the firmware, however, in lately There are even more of them and unscrupulous sellers do not hesitate to install them on the smartphones of gullible buyers. Basically, these are homemade firmware with disgusting translation, frequent mistakes and ubiquitous bugs. Stable job Such firmware is absolutely not guaranteed and often spoils the impression of the device. It is always recommended to install assemblies of the first three types, or better yet, just Stable.

Other firmware versions. There are several other types of firmware that are no longer so common. TD ROM And WCDMA ROM- firmware created for a specific type of communication in specific country. For example, the TD version was created for the same type of 3G connection only in China. Phones with TD ROM will work only within China, and in our region they will be of little more than zero use. Phones with WCDMA ROM created for 3G communications, widespread throughout the world. However, there are some varieties such as WCDMA HK, WCDMA Singapore, WCDMA Taiwan, WCDMA Malaysia, which also will not work outside these countries.

BY SIZE

Full ROM, aka “Full firmware package”. This full file firmware, which is usually used when installing software from scratch or for the first time. Also, installing firmware by downloading the full package often helps eliminate some errors that were previously in the device. Full version The firmware includes all applications and services, even those that did not change in the update. Usually complete package updates weigh from 600 MB to 2 GB.

Incremental ROM, aka “OTA update”, “Renewal”. Includes only new files, as well as updates, fixes and additions. Typically, this type of update comes to devices via OTA (over the air). Such updates, as a rule, are not significant and weigh from 20 MB to 200 MB.

Thus, you receive both Developer firmware and Stable firmware in the form OTA updates, and if you wish, you can download the full firmware package from standard application Updater of your device.

UPDATE

Official (global, English-Chinese / weekly, stable) firmware is always updated over the air, except in cases incorrect installation or any other incorrect user actions that could lead to damage system files. In case your official firmware does not want to be updated, you need to install the firmware in manual mode. Download official and some custom ones MIUI builds possible with official forum MIUI → here. Look for other firmware on non-specialized forums.

Custom firmware for the most part is not updated over the air, but requires manual installation. If your bootloader is correctly unlocked, some custom assemblies will receive updates over the air.

And, most importantly. Firmware updates occur only and only within one build. That is, you will not be able to update over the air to stable firmware if you have weekly installed and vice versa. But in some cases you can switch through your phone from weekly to stable and vice versa.

This information may be interesting, and perhaps even extremely useful. Not everyone understands the differences between firmware versions. What is global, and how does it differ from development? We will answer these questions below.

In this article, we decided to give a brief overview of MIUI firmware and help you understand the variety of firmware, so that in the future you will know what it is “weekly”, “homemade” and what to expect from the firmware. All MIUI firmware is divided into several types and subtypes.

BY ORIGIN

Initially, MIUI is presented in two versions: English-Chinese (China ROM) And global (Global ROM).

China ROM, "Anglo-Chinese" The version is focused on China and is equipped with various functions and software relevant only for China. Of the available languages, only English and Chinese are represented in it, as is clear from the name. We are not interested in her.

Global ROM, she's the same "Global", "Multilingual" in turn, is aimed at users outside of China and is not supplied with services for China, but on the contrary, Google services are installed. There are many more languages available, including Russian.

BY TYPE

The name of the developer firmware release is the date of its release. For example, the firmware is called MIUI 8 6.11.3, which means that it was released on November 3, 2016. The first digit is the year, the second is the month, the third is the day.

Stable ROM, she's the same “Stable”. This firmware, like the Weekly one, is official and released by the MIUI development team at Xiaomi. It is the main assembly and is a kind of standard: it is stable, all functions are debugged and optimized, all bugs that are found in the weekly firmware are fixed. It is recommended to install it if you do not strive for all the innovations and associated bugs, but you need stable operation of the system without surprises. The name of stable firmware versions is not tied to the release date, but to the accumulated updates, so it is updated irregularly. Updates can come either once every two weeks or once every three months.

Samopal ROM- this is a kind of subspecies, an offshoot from Custom firmware. We apologize for such a free interpretation of the names of these “versions” of firmware, however, recently there have been even more of them and unscrupulous sellers do not hesitate to install them on the smartphones of gullible buyers. Basically, these are homemade firmware with disgusting translation, frequent errors and ubiquitous bugs. Stable operation of such firmware is absolutely not guaranteed and often spoils the impression of the device. It is always recommended to install assemblies of the first three types, or better yet, just Stable.

Other firmware versions.

There are several other types of firmware that are no longer so common. TD ROM And WCDMA ROM- firmware created for a specific type of communication in a specific country. For example, the TD version was created for the same type of 3G connection only in China. Phones with TD ROM will work only within China, and in our region they will be of little more than zero use. Phones with WCDMA ROM created for 3G communications, widespread throughout the world. However, there are some varieties such as WCDMA HK, WCDMA Singapore, WCDMA Taiwan, WCDMA Malaysia, which also will not work outside these countries.

BY SIZE

Full ROM, aka “Full firmware package”. This is a complete firmware file that is usually used when installing software from scratch or for the first time. Also, installing firmware by downloading the full package often helps eliminate some errors that were previously in the device. The full version of the firmware includes all applications and services, even those that did not change in the update. Typically, a complete update package weighs from 600 MB to 2 GB.

Thus, you receive both Developer firmware and Stable firmware in the form of an OTA update, and if you wish, you can download the full firmware package in the standard Updater application of your device.

UPDATE

Official (global, English-Chinese / weekly, stable) firmware is always updated over the air, except in cases of incorrect installation or any other incorrect user actions that could lead to damage to system files. If your official firmware does not want to be updated, you need to install the firmware manually. You can download official and some custom builds of MIUI from the official MIUI forum.

Friends, we receive a lot of questions about firmware. I propose to finally dot the I’s and deal with MIUI firmware to devices Xiaomi company . There are a great many of them and they are very diverse. But today, we will try to divide them into several types and types. View list official firmware for your Xiaomi devices, can be viewed on this page.

So, what kind of firmware are there? Let's consider two main types:

China ROM
Global ROM

1. China ROM

These firmwares are intended for the domestic Chinese market. They do not support the Russian language (but have English) and are full of various services that will not work (or are useless) in other countries. The name has letters CN, for example “MIUI 8.2 | Stable 8.2.6.0 (MAD CN DL)".

2.Global ROM

These are the so-called global firmware. They are multilingual and designed for the European market. They have Russian language support. As a rule, almost all or all menu items are translated. Hieroglyphs and Chinese applications are cut out from them. They have the word in the title Global or Global, and also letters MI. For example, " MIUI Global 8.5 Stable 8.5.3.0 (MHO MI ED)".

These two types, in turn, can be divided into types:

Developer ROM
Stable ROM
Ported ROM

1.Developer ROM

This is firmware for developers. It contains the latest and most relevant functions, as well as new products that have not yet been released to the masses. But there are also a lot of bugs and shortcomings here. Actually, its main purpose is testing. Released and updated weekly. Supports over-the-air (OTA) updates.

The name has three numbers that indicate the year, date and month of the firmware release. For example, "MIUI9 7.11.9 ", indicates that it was released in 2017, in the 11th month (November), on the 9th.

2.Stable ROM

From the name it is clear that this is stable firmware. Installed on smartphones for sale. This is exactly what will be on yours if you purchase it in a store. They are characterized by stable operation, have a minimum of bugs and, in general, are preferable for installation if you do not want to have unnecessary problems with the operation of the device. Rarely released and updated. They have the word in the title Stable and four numbers that indicate the version. They also support OTA updates.

3. Ported ROM

These are so-called assemblies from third-party developers, like miui.su, miuipro, xiaomi.eu, etc. Such firmware has been redesigned and supplemented by people who are not directly related to Xiaomi, i.e. not official. However, this does not mean that they are bad. Some work quite well and stably. Also, such teams are engaged in the localization of Chinese firmware for other markets, because Xiaomi does not always release global firmware. You can recognize them when you boot your phone. Each team has its own logo, which is displayed when turned on. Actually, the name is written there. Their release schedule is varied and each team has its own.

In addition to the above, there are also author's firmware. As a rule, these are firmware upgrades by one person. He added or removed from them what he considered necessary. They need to be installed with caution, because... you don't know the developer's intentions for certain. names usually consist of three numbers, for example 7.10.26.

The last option we will highlight is homemade firmware. They can most likely be classified as copyrighted, but their quality leaves much to be desired, if not terrible. The name has four or five numbers, for example: 8.2.15.10 , which can be more than 10.

You can easily view your firmware version by going to:

Settings—>About phone
Find the line “MIUI Version”.

Many fans of new products in the smartphone industry have long paid attention to the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi.

However, figuring out all the know-how on your own is not so easy, which raises the question of why global firmware is needed and what it is.

Definition of global firmware

On technical language, Firmware means the operating system that is used as the basic material for the operation of any smartphone. Since manufacturers are constantly working to improve it, the phone periodically offers to update the firmware version so that the user can appreciate the new capabilities of his gadget. As you know, the most common operating systems until recently were iOS, Windows, and Android. Product developed by Apple, has become a leader in the field safe storage data.

However, with the development of the Chinese market, row technical devices along with all the “stuffing” was replenished. On existing base Androind, manufacturers such as Meizu, Flyme, MIUI (Xiaomi) decided to create their own versions of global firmware.

The initial form of the new invention was planned to be used exclusively on Chinese, since there was no such forecast that could calculate such great popularity in a competitive market. In the first version there were only two languages: national and English, only current applications for the Chinese population, Chrome was not available. The common people called this version of the firmware “Chine ROM”.

Since the demand for Chinese smartphones soared to the skies The main task of manufacturers was to expand the existing characteristics. Thus, the firmware appeared in many languages, hence the name global firmware (Global ROM).

Types of firmware, considering origin

The initial firmware has two versions: standard (China ROM, available in two languages: Chinese and English) and global (Global ROM, available for use in many languages of the world).

1China ROM as the name implies, it is relevant for the local population in China, since it has a number of its own characteristics. It has applications installed functionality taking into account cultural interests. In addition, there are language restrictions, since the firmware only supports two languages: Chinese and English

2Global ROM means multi-spectrum, focusing on other cultures. IN in this case There are no applications relevant for the first option. Most of the services are from the familiar Google, which is especially common in the USA and Europe.

Classification by type

1. Weekly (Developer ROM). The most popular type of firmware, since everything latest changes possible to obtain through its use. It is an official legacy from the developer Xiaomi. Generally, updates occur every week until Friday, excluding Chinese public holidays. Often, if in new firmware There are some errors, don’t worry, because they will be fixed in the next weekly update

2. Stable (Stable ROM). As in the first version, it is an official creation of the Chinese MIUI developer(Xiaomi protégé). However there is a difference: this firmware contains exclusively measured parameters and functions, the operation of which is maximally debugged. The best option for those who are not chasing new bugs and are not involved in testing technical innovations. Important difference from other versions of global firmware - inconsistent updates, since it uses exclusively well-established mechanisms

3. Unofficial, custom (Ported ROM). Built on many functions and programs that were created by third-party specialists. Standard, proven firmware is used as the basis. In this case, updates do not occur constantly, so it is impossible to calculate a specific date. Sometimes the interval is up to several months

4.Samopal. It is not an independent category of global firmware. As a rule, these firmwares are presented at the lowest possible cost, since they are assembled by amateurs with numerous errors, an inconvenient interface, and poor-quality translation. Since the quality of this type leaves much to be desired, it is most reasonable to use one of the three options presented above

Global firmware sizes

It is customary to highlight all two size ranges of existing firmware:

Full (Full ROM). A complete adapted package, which is most often installed when using the gadget for the first time. It contains everything necessary programs and applications that will be needed to work with the device. As a rule, the weight of such a package is no more than 2 GB
Update (Incremental ROM). As the name implies, such firmware is focused exclusively on new services, applications and bug fixes previous versions. It is important to note that due to its light weight (up to 200MB), almost every smartphone has technical support similar package.

Differences between Chinese firmware and global firmware

Many users are confident that, apart from the lack of support for the Russian language in the English-Chinese version, the rest of the program is no different from the global one. However, such a statement should not be considered true. There are several aspects that distinguish one version from another:

China ROM is indeed characterized by a lack of support for the Russian language. But there are also models with basic firmware that have completely eradicated this drawback. However, it is important to understand that when using such patches, any security is completely absent. Therefore trust personal information, means taking really serious risks
Everyone's favorite Google Play also missing, and converting your own gadget is only possible using unofficial versions
China ROM contains exclusively services intended for use by the Chinese population, so the question of how relevant they are for residents of other countries remains open. It is also worth noting that the operation of such a gadget is characterized by lower productivity. Errors occur frequently
There are situations when manually installed by Google Play refuses to continue working, due to the fact that the system recognizes it as malware, so it is unlikely to be fully exploited.

Updates

All types of official firmware can be updated over the air. The only exception can be the moment when problems or errors occur during the downloading process. If automatic updating does not occur, then there is alternative option– download in manual mode.

To prevent the risk of virus infection or downloading unwanted programs, it is recommended to use only reliable sources. The most popular is the official website of the MIUI manufacturer. As for custom options, they can only be found in unofficial sources.

If we talk about custom firmware, then it is impossible to use it in the same way as the official one. IN mandatory You will need to download from the resource. The situation when the operating system becomes outdated and is not able to efficiently load new games or applications is typical in nature.

If the phone starts to work incorrectly or freezes, then this is the first sign that it’s time to change the firmware. In this case, in order to expand the capabilities of the gadget, you should not resort to downloading the official global firmware, since in the end the same result will be obtained. They help increase the phone's performance.

However, such firmware still has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

Main advantages custom firmware is regular update, which involves the use of completely new features or the improvement of old functions. It is worth noting that third-party developers often visit discussion forums and read into the wishes of customers who carefully monitor new software or updates. This is extremely important because reviews help make next version an order of magnitude higher by changing the parameters or improving them. For example, the user can indicate that the battery charge indicators are displayed incorrectly. In this case, the unofficial developer will make every effort to correct such a defect.
However, users who keep up with the times note another advantage of custom firmware - the absence of additional garbage that clogs the phone’s memory unnecessary programs. The performance of the phone increases with changes in the firmware, since the initially existing code is considered optimized, which means you can download an upgrade at any time. Since the firmware does not allow data to be saved third party applications, then charging the gadget will last much longer.
By using custom firmware you can install the most latest version operating room Android systems. It is worth noting that not a single manufacturer producing smartphones or gadgets is engaged in updating operating system, so put the most new version only possible with the support of unofficial firmware.

Flaws:

First of all, the most important drawback is related to the fact that each user must have advanced capabilities of the copyright holder, which may not always lead to the desired consequences. As an opposite effect, there is always the possibility of getting together with a super-functional phone an ordinary plastic brick that will not respond to even the most trivial commands. Therefore, before you start filling, you need to read and thoroughly study all the information about the firmware.
If your phone breaks down, it is important to understand that after flashing, warranty service no longer possible, so repairs can cost quite a large sum. Sometimes it turns out that taking risks and installing an unofficial version of the firmware is not so relevant, since the user may have enough of the existing functions, so there is no point in doing such things unnecessarily.
Before downloading the firmware, it is recommended to find out as much information as possible about it. There are many forums on the Internet where advanced users discuss this or that version, what its disadvantages are, what doesn’t work after downloading, and whether there are viruses. It is not advisable to take risks and download firmware from a source unknown to anyone, since they may be scammers.

Installation instructions

Modern users of Chinese-made smartphones have long been accustomed to ordering goods directly from companies. And although the cost of the gadget is an order of magnitude lower, there is still one nuance - the presence of China ROM, which does not support the Russian language. To understand the question of how to install global firmware, let's take Meizu MX6 as an example.