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Xiaomi

From Consumer_Action_Taskforce

Xiaomi is a China-based manufacturer and designer of consumer electronics and software. As of 2021, it is the second largest phone manufacturer in the world.[1]

Xiaomi
Basic information
Founded 2010
Type Public
Industry Technology
Official website https://www.mi.com/us/


Controversies[edit | edit source]

Kernel disclosure issues[edit | edit source]

Main Article: Xiaomi's disclosure of kernel sources

Although Xiaomi's devices run on an operating system based on the Linux kernel, which is licensed under GPLv2, the company does not disclose all of their operating system source code on GitHub, as required by GPL terms.

Unlocking restrictions[edit | edit source]

Main article: Xiaomi Phone unlock requirements and procedure

Phones manufactured come with an unlockable bootloader, however the unlocking process is heavily restricted.

Certain repairs require an authorized service Mi Account.[edit | edit source]

For devices with a broken bootloader, recovery typically involves reflashing firmware through Emergency Download (EDL) mode (for Qualcomm-based devices) or Download Mode (for MediaTek-based devices). While Qualcomm and MediaTek provide software for these modes, they are only distributed internally to repair centers. However, open-source alternatives exist that can perform similar functions.

Despite this, Xiaomi has implemented additional restrictions by requiring online authentication, which is exclusively provided to authorized repair centers. This prevents users from restoring their own devices in cases of severe software failure.[2]

Electric vehicle conditional serialization[edit | edit source]

Owners of the electric vehicle Xiaomi SU7 report authentication errors after replacing parts such as headlights. Officials have said the Xiaomi SU7 can not complete over the air software updates unless upgradeable parts have Xiaomi approved identification keys.[3][4]

References[edit | edit source]