Xiaomi has made significant changes in its bootloader unlocking policy that has left many users feeling disgruntled.
Xiaomi has been known for its ability to easily allow users to modify the software on its smartphones. However, since 2023, the company has implemented stricter regulations that make unlocking the bootloader a major challenge.
Many Xiaomi domestic smartphone models are not officially distributed in Vietnam.
The bootloader is an important software that helps boot the operating system on the device. To install other ROM versions, users need to unlock the bootloader. But now Xiaomi has completely banned this process, which means users cannot switch between official or custom software versions.
Unlocking the bootloader on Xiaomi devices is known to be quite simple, although the company has now imposed strict restrictions. If the bootloader is not locked, users may be stopped from receiving software updates. In fact, this change by Xiaomi is similar to what competitors like Huawei, Honor, OPPO and vivo have done.
The price of Xiaomi smartphones "imported from Beijing" is quite cheap.
One of the main reasons for this change is that consumers in the West, especially in Italy, often buy Xiaomi smartphones from China at a cheaper price and install global ROMs to make them look similar to the models sold in the Western market. This not only affects Xiaomi's revenue but also allows some retailers to install counterfeit ROMs that put users at risk.
Now, Xiaomi has decided to block the use of global ROMs on Chinese devices. According to reports from users on social media, unlocking the bootloader of Chinese Xiaomi devices with a global account is also no longer possible as they will receive an error message with the content meaning “account registration location does not match the phone sales location”.
Will tightening regulations help Xiaomi phones distributed by official distributors sell better?
This not only reduces user flexibility but also raises questions about the future of Xiaomi products in the modding community. To avoid such troubles, users should be careful when choosing to buy a Xiaomi phone by ensuring that the device is not a model exclusive to the domestic Chinese market.
