Xiaomi has quietly signed a deal to preinstall new apps (bloatware) on its smartphones. Starting in 2026, the company will begin shipping new phones with a crypto wallet and discovery app developed by Sei Labs, as part of a new global partnership focused on pushing blockchain technology to more people.
The app is tied to Sei, a Layer 1 blockchain designed specifically for digital asset trading. It will come pre-installed on all new Xiaomi phones sold outside mainland China and the United States. And that is a lot of devices.Β
Xiaomi is currently the worldβs third-largest smartphone brand after Apple and Samsung, covering more than 13 percent global market share. In numbers, that is around 160 million devices.
The Sei app works as a crypto wallet and a gateway to Web3 services. According to Sei, users will be able to send peer-to-peer payments, interact with decentralized applications, and explore other blockchain-based products without downloading anything extra.Β
Sei is also planning to expand this partnership beyond smartphones. The company says it wants to enable stablecoin payments across Xiaomiβs 20,000-plus retail stores, starting with Hong Kong and parts of the European Union. This will eventually allow customers to buy Xiaomi products using stablecoins like USDC, with transactions settled on the Sei blockchain.
Itβs just another bloatware
In a press release shared with CoinDesk, Sei says the deal could introduce crypto to millions of people, especially in markets where Xiaomi has a dominating presence.Β
For instance, the company holds 36.9 percent of the smartphone market in Greece, and around 24 percent in India.Β
However, for users, this is just another bloatware.
Preinstalled apps have long been a sore point for Xiaomi phones. The situation was particularly bad a few years ago, as the phones came loaded with apps most people never asked for.Β
Xiaomi has since tried to be more transparent and has made some improvements, but this partnership feels like a step backward. Installing crypto apps by default that most users are not aware of or wonβt use is not right.Β
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Xiaomi has started rolling out HyperOS 3, its latest Android skin based on Android 16, and on paper, it looks like a solid upgrade. The company is pitching a lighter system, smoother animations, and better overall responsiveness across a wide range of phones and tablets.
For many users, that seems to be true. Day-to-day performance reportedly feels snappier, with fewer background slowdowns and a generally smoother experience than previous HyperOS versions.
But for a specific group of usersβAndroid emulation enthusiasts using the Xiaomi Pad 6S Proβthe update hasnβt been entirely smooth.
Shortly after HyperOS 3 began rolling out, posts started appearing on forums like r/EmulationOnAndroid, with users reporting reduced emulation performance after updating. One user of the Pad 6S Pro showed visible flickering and instability that reportedly wasnβt present before. Similar complaints have popped up from owners of other Xiaomi devices as well, suggesting the issue isnβt limited to a single model.
That said, the situation isnβt universal. Some users say their emulated games continue to run just fine on HyperOS 3, hinting that the problem may depend on specific hardware or GPU configurations rather than the update as a whole.
For those affected, a potential fix has emerged β switching to the Turnip v25.3.0 (Revision 5) GPU driver could help reduce the visual glitches. But turnip drivers currently donβt support devices powered by Qualcommβs newer Snapdragon 8 Elite and newer flagship chips, limiting their usefulness for the recent flagship phones and tablets.
In short, HyperOS 3 appears to be a win for general performance, but itβs not without trade-offs. If emulation is a big part of how you use your Xiaomi device, it might be worth waiting for future updatesβor at least checking community feedback for your specific modelβbefore jumping in.
As always, Xiaomi could smooth things out with upcoming patches, but for now, HyperOS 3βs impact on emulation remains hit or miss.
Xiaomiβs upcoming release cycle seems fairly packed. According to digital blogger Digital Chat Station, the company is prepping to launch everything from flagship smartphones to wearables and IoT devices ahead of the Spring Festival in China.
According to DCS, the upcoming lineup includes a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5-powered imaging flagship, two midrange smartphones powered by MediaTek Dimensity chips, a new smartwatch, two pairs of earbuds, a midrange tablet, and several IoT devices.
Hereβs whatβs coming
Unsurprisingly, the Snapdragon-run flagship is the Xiaomi 17 Ultra. The phone is reportedly set to be announced as early as next week, with a full release planned for later this month.
The 17 Ultra will feature a 1-inch Leica main camera, which is likely a domestically produced OmniVision OV50X sensor. It joins a 50-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens on the rear.
Xiaomi is also expanding its midrange portfolio with two new devices. The Redmi Turbo 5 is expected to be the first smartphone to use the Dimensity 8500 chip. Whereas the Redmi Turbo 5 Pro will move further up the stack with Dimensity 9500e.Β
Wearables arenβt being left out either. The new Xiaomi smartwatch has been revealed to run Android with Xiaomiβs HyperOS and feature a 930mAh battery. It also supports eSIM technology via an independent eUICC chip, making it fully capable of functioning without a smartphone.
Rounding out the lineup are two pairs of earbuds, a midrange tablet, and several IoT devices, though details on those remain sparse.
Itβs still unclear whether all of these products will launch at the same time or across multiple events. Xiaomi is likely to plan a dedicated launch for the 17 Ultra, and if not all, we expect some of the other devices to debut on the same day.
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Xiaomi appears to be moving closer to launching the REDMI Turbo 5 series. A new Xiaomi phone, listed under the model number 2602BRT18C, has cleared radio certification in China, a step that usually points to an upcoming launch.
According to Weibo tipster Smart Pikachu, the certified device belongs to the REDMI Turbo 5 lineup and is likely the REDMI Turbo 5 Pro. While Xiaomi has not confirmed the model yet, certification activity suggests launch preparations are already underway.
The REDMI Turbo 5 series is expected to include two models: the standard Turbo 5 and Turbo 5 Pro. The base model received its approval back in October. The reported Turbo 5 series launch window falls around January or February, ahead of the Chinese Spring Festival. @DigitalChatStation has also said that the Turbo 5 Pro is expected to arrive before the holiday.
Xiaomi 2602BRT18C radio certification
As per @DigitalChatStation, this generation of the Turbo series is being positioned more aggressively than before. The Turbo 5 Pro is said to feature a flagship-class chipset, along with custom performance tuning. The phone is also tipped to include the largest battery in its segment, paired with 100W fast charging.
Additional leaked details point to a metal frame. Other reported features include a 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, full water resistance, and symmetrical stereo speakers. The overall design is said to lean toward a clean, minimal look.
For comparison, the previous REDMI Turbo 4 Pro was the first smartphone to launch with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset. It featured a 6.83-inch 1.5K flat display, a 50MP + 8MP rear camera setup, and support for 90W wired charging with 22.5W reverse charging.
More details about the REDMI Turbo 5 series are expected to surface in the coming weeks.
Fang Cheng Bao delivers over 35,000 units for the first time.Β
According to data by the CAAM, Chinese wholesales in November edge up 3.4% year-on-year to 3,429,000 units. This means year-to-date volumes are up 11.4% to 31,127,000. Passenger Cars are up 1.2% to 3,037,000 for the month and up 11.5% to 27,256,000 year-to-date. For their part Commercial Vehicles surge 24.4% to 392,000 in November and are up 10.4% to 3,870,000 year-to-date. New Energy vehicle sales are up 20.6% to 1,823,000. BEVs soar 28.9% to 1,170,000 while PHEVs are up 7.9% to 652,000. Year-to-date, NEV sales are up 31.2% to 14,780,000 with BEVs up 41.2% to 9,515,000 and PHEVs up 16.4% to 5,261,000. Exports are up 48.5% to 728,000 units in November including 624,000 PC (+48.7%) and 104,000 CV (+47.2%). Year-to-date exports are up 18.7% to 6,343,000 including 5,397,000 PV (+19.4%) and 947,000 CV (+14.6%). NEV exports are up 100% to 2,315,000.
In the brands charts, the medium-term trend we have observed continues: BYD (-35%) is in deep trouble whereas #2 Geely (+33.5%) powers ahead to a new all-time record monthly volume above 210,000 units. βSurvivingβ BYD models include the Sealion 05 (+56.1%) and Dolphin (+3.8%) with the new Sealion 06 above the 25,000 monthly sales mark for the 4th straight month in 5 months of activity and the new Seal 05 cracking the 20,000 sales milestone for the first time. The Song Plus (-80.5%), Han (-72.4%), Tang (-69.7%), Seagull (-61.2%), Song L (-59.1%), Qin L (-47.4%), Song Pro (-37.1%) and Seal 06 (-32.5%) are all hit hard. In contrast, in the Geely corner the Xingyuan is up 109.8% to over 42,000 sales while the Galaxy New Energy range is up 82.8% to 63,688. The Boyue SUV is also very impressive at +138.4%.
Voyah cracks the 20,000 monthly sales milestone.
Illustrating the current heavy difficulties on foreign manufacturers in China, Volkswagen plunges -22.4% and Toyota drops -13.6%. Wuling edges up 4.6% to remain in 5th place while Tesla (-0.5%) is stable year-on-year and up 19 spots on October to #6 vs. #9 so far this year. Chery (-21.3%) struggles at #7 ahead of a solid Nissan (+13.2%). Encouragingly, this is Nissanβs 6th straight month of year-on-year upticks. After breaking its all time monthly volume record for the past 6 consecutive month, Leapmotor (+56.9%) takes a breather but still manages its 2nd best ever volume, above 60,000 units. Audi (+4.7%) closes the Top 10 out with a small gain. Xiaomi (+99.7%) continues to stun, albeit down two spots on last month to #14. Fang Cheng Bao (+314.1%) is the winner of the month, breaking into the Top 20 for the first time at #18 and delivering a third consecutive record month, above 35,000 sales. Voyah (+84.3%) also passes an important milestone at over 20,000 units for the first time (#29).
Looking at the models ranking in isolation, the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV (+63.2%) manages a third win in a row but remains in 2nd place year-to-date below the Geely Xingyuan (+109.8%) itself down one rank on last month to #3. Following a particularly poor score in October, the Tesla Model Y (+5.7%) rallies back up 15 spots to land in 2nd place, most importantly reclaiming the SUV crown off the new Xiaomi YU7 down from #5 last month to #6 in November. The Nissan Sylphy (+16.5%) and BYD Qin Plus (-3.9%) round out the Top 5, with the latter being the only BYD model in the Top 10 (there are 6 in the Top 17). The Tesla Model 3 (-10%) also returns inside the Top 10 at #9 vs. #113 in October. The new BYD Sealion 06 ranks #11, the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7 is at a record 12th place, the BYD Seal 05 cracks the Top 30 for the first time, landing at #14.
The year 2027 will mark the 20th anniversary of Appleβs iPhone. Reports suggest that while the brand will announce the iPhone 18 series in 2026, it may skip the iPhone 19 lineup in 2027. The iPhone 19 series is said to be replaced by the iPhone 20 lineup in celebration of the 20th anniversary. A new report suggests that Xiaomi could also adopt a similar approach for its flagship series.
Xiaomi 19 could be skipped
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
Last year, Xiaomi launched the Xiaomi 15 lineup, including the Xiaomi 15, 15 Pro, and 15 Ultra. These models were followed by the Xiaomi 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Ultra, skipping the Xiaomi 16 series entirely.
Xiaomi skipped the β16β in its flagship line to jump straight to the Xiaomi 17 series, primarily to create parity with Appleβs iPhone 17 lineup. This move positioned Xiaomi as a direct competitor and signaled a major leap in premium features, as confirmed by company President Lu Weibing.
The new report by XiaomiTime, which claims that the Xiaomi 19 series will be skipped, does not provide any concrete proof to support this claim. However, the possibility remains, as such a strategic numerical jump carries implications beyond marketing alone. Just as Xiaomi deliberately skipped the 16 series to launch the Xiaomi 17 in a clear, market-savvy move aimed at direct, name-for-name competition with the iPhone 17, it would not be surprising for the brand to repeat this tactic by bypassing the Xiaomi 19 series.
While Xiaomi is not celebrating a major anniversary in 2027 that would align perfectly with Appleβs potential move, such a calculated leap could ensure that Xiaomiβs next flagship, the Xiaomi 20, arrives alongside the rumored iPhone 20 in 2027, maintaining branding consistency and competitive positioning.
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Xiaomi has a new update for its wearable users in China. The company has confirmed that it is the first brand to integrate Alipayβs βTap to Payβ feature into its smart bands, enabling easier contactless payments.
The update was shared by Zhang Lei, Vice President of Xiaomi Groupβs Mobile Phone Division and General Manager of its Wearable Devices Division. According to Zhang, Xiaomi is currently the only manufacturer supporting this feature in the band category.
Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Glimmer Edition
Alipayβs Tap to Pay works much like other contactless payment systems: users can tap their smartwatch or band at a supported terminal to pay, without pulling out a phone.Β
However, Zhang says that enabling this feature wasnβt as simple as it might seem. According to him, each product has to go through its own research and development process, testing, and approvals from multiple parties. As a result, different devices receive support at different times.
Xiaomi wearables that support Alipay Tap to Pay
Some Xiaomi wearables already support Tap & Pay. The list includes the REDMI Watch 6, the Xiaomi Band 9 NFC / Ceramic version, and Xiaomi Band 10, including the NFC model, Ceramic version, and the Shining Gold Special Edition. For users of these devices, the feature is already live.
Other products are still in what Xiaomi calls βgray-scaleβ pilot testing, meaning the feature is being rolled out gradually to a limited group of users. The Xiaomi Watch S4 lineup, including the standard version, eSIM version, 41mm model, and the 15th Anniversary Edition, is currently in this testing phase. The Xiaomi Watch S4 Sport is also included. Xiaomi says full support for Alipay Tap & Go on these watches is expected to arrive in December.
Looking further ahead, Xiaomi has outlined plans for additional devices. Both the standard and eSIM versions of the REDMI Watch 5 will begin gray-scale rollout in December. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Mi Band 9 Pro is scheduled to enter gray-scale testing much later, starting in February 2026.