Android Oreo Beta Rolling Out to Xiaomi Mi A1 Beta Testers

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The Xiaomi Mi A1 launched in September as the manufacturer’s first Android One smartphone, and it almost single-handedly revitalized interest in Google’s entry-level hardware platform. That’s because of specifications that include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 system-on-chip, 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB of storage, a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display, and 12MP+12MP dual rear cameras. It’s powered by nearly stock Android 7.1 Nougat, with only a few modifications such as the MIUI camera app.

Xiaomi promised that the Mi A1 would get Android Oreo before the end of the year, and last week announced it was looking for beta testers. Now, Xiaomi’s started rolling out the update, and GSMArena managed to obtain a few screenshots of it.

The Android Oreo Beta of the Xiaomi Mi A1 is 1104MB in size and includes the December 1, 2017 security patch. It’s expected to roll out to all users by the end of this year, which would make the Mi A1 one of the first phones in its price bracket to receive official Android Oreo.

Separately, the Mi A1 has gotten a semi-functional LineageOS port. That’s despite the fact that we still haven’t seen the phone’s kernel sources, which is a bit worrisome considering Xioami promised it’d make them public within the first few months of the phone’s launch date. Custom ROM development is progressing at a snail’s pace as a result, which doesn’t bode well for the Mi A1’s future.

Still, we found the Mi A1 to be a great device for stock Android enthusiasts in our review — especially at its price tag. It’s made all the more appealing by its recent Rs. 1000 price cut, which improves its value-for-money proposition against new competitors such as the Honor 7X. At Rs. 13,999, the Mi A1 is still one of the best devices out there (even if we take the lack of kernel sources into account), and the Oreo update is sure to improve its user experience.