What is the difference between the version of Global Xiaomi

27.07.2021 Gralbine Xiaomi

Why release different firmware versions

There are many reasons why Xiaomi phones for use in the local and global markets differ from each other, and the main one is the blocked Google services in China. Instead, “local” Xiaomi smartphones use Chinese counterparts. Many popular services do not work, and among them:

Play Market;
Gmail;
Google Maps, as well as other services from Android.

In addition, in the homeland of Xiaomi, the frequencies of cellular networks are also different: LTE works there in completely different ranges, the TD-SCDMA standard is often used, which has not received distribution in other countries.

Since gadgets for the domestic and foreign markets have to be made different, Xiaomi is not interested in developing modifications that could be used in “foreign” territory. So, if, after the start of sales of a new model, a batch of devices in the shortest possible time is sorted out by dealers (and this has happened more than once), a shortage of a new model will arise in the local market, which in turn leads to the loss of a part of the local market, since buyers give preference for other brands.

It is to support a high level of sales in the Chinese and world markets that the company divides the firmware versions. There are many other factors, and all together they make buying a smartphone with Chinese firmware for use in other countries not the best solution.

How to tell the international version from the Chinese version

You can also distinguish the global version from the Chinese in appearance. on the packaging of devices for the international market there are inscriptions in English, with local firmware instead of this hieroglyphs.

You can also check the version of the installed platform using the charger. for the European market the power adapter has a Euro plug with round pins, in local versions they are flat for the Chinese standard of sockets.

In addition, there is a difference between the devices on the back cover sticker and the label on the bottom of the box. the Chinese have all the inscriptions in hieroglyphs, except for IMEI, the local identifier is also indicated, the model code for the local market may be indicated, for example, Redmi 5 plus for China. MEE7.

If the Official Global rom Xiaomi is used, then the inscriptions on the back cover and the box will be in English, of the identifiers there is only IMEI and the model name familiar to everyone.

Vietnamese firmware

In recent years, all Xiaomi devices come with locked bootloaders, which does not allow modifying the installed operating system. adding other languages to the Asian version, installing Google services for it, and so on. Unscrupulous sellers find ways to bypass all restrictions, so they install MIUI versions with localization and Android programs on Chinese models.

On thematic forums, such firmware is called “Vietnamese”. Such operating systems do not undergo any testing, so their reliability is not guaranteed. At best, such devices will simply not receive any updates, but often when trying to install a new version, the gadget turns into an expensive “brick”, and even contacting the official support service. service.global@Xiaomi.com. is unlikely to help.

Since many sellers hide the fact of installing unofficial software versions, it is undesirable to buy smartphones for the Chinese market if it is used in other countries.

It is easiest to identify such a software modification according to its version. the numbering of the official ones looks like 9.2.1, while the “Vietnamese” ones in the name or model will have something like 9.2.1.99 or 9.9.9.99, where the fourth number is the main one, for real firmware it does not exist at all, and if there is, then it is unambiguous.

Features of Chinese firmware

Official MIUI for China, called China Stable, is intended only for the domestic market, so it has a large number of services and applications aimed only at local users.

One of the distinctive features of this firmware option is that there is no way to install Global Stable, while the global platform can be easily changed to Chinese. The thing is that other components are used in devices for the PRC, which in their parameters are somewhat inferior to European versions.

Although the Chinese firmware usually also contains English, the translation quality is very low, so without knowing the “native” language of the smartphone, it will not work normally to use it. Another distinctive feature of phones manufactured for the domestic market is the presence of a “Chinese” power adapter plug in the kit.

Sometimes there are quite serious differences in the versions of smartphones, for example, in Redmi 5A, 6 and 6A, in the Asian version one hybrid slot is used. a SIM card or Micro SD, in the international one there is an additional slot for a second SIM card.

Xiaomi Global and Chinese Firmware Version

For some time after the start of the production of mobile devices, Xiaomi did it for the needs of China, but soon the proprietary MIUI firmware was adapted for the international market. Now smartphones for the PRC come with local firmware, and the rest. with an operating system with an interface adapted for any user. Such versions of the platform for mobile devices are called China ROM (CN) and Global ROM (Mi), the first of which is Chinese, the second is global or international.

What is the difference between such versions of MIUI, how fundamental it is and why it is necessary to pay attention to this when buying a Xiaomi phone. we will consider further.

International version and its features

Xiaomi’s Global Firmware, which is called Global Stable, is installed on all devices sold outside the PRC. Regardless of the MIUI firmware version, it always lacks Chinese programs and instead uses the usual Google services. this is one of the main features that distinguishes the global version of Xiaomi from the original Chinese.

It is for this reason that when trying to use applications intended for Chinese consumers on smartphones with Xiaomi Eu firmware (for the European market), the device may not work correctly.

Installing the global version

If such a need arises, you can try to install the official international version of the software on your own. For this:

Download and install the MiFlash program (http://api.en.miui.com/url/MiFlashTool).
Download the official firmware of the official version from the company’s website and unpack it to the root folder of the system disk.
We put the phone into Fastboot mode. after turning off, the volume down and power keys are pressed until the image of a hare in a hat with earflaps appears.
The smartphone is connected to the PC with a high-quality USB cable, preferably an original one. In the case of a stationary computer, you need to use USB 2.0 located on the motherboard.
Launch MiFlash, click “Refresh”, then “Browse” and specify the path to the folder with the firmware files.
At the bottom of the screen, select “Flash all except storage” when you want to save files to the computer‘s storage device or “Flash all” if you don’t need it.

Then the process of installing the new global version of the operating system will begin. After its completion, the phone restarts, the first activation can take a long time. up to 5 minutes.

The Chinese company Xiaomi produces all models of its mobile devices in two versions. for the domestic market. an Asian or Chinese version, and for the rest of the world. a global or international one. As it became clear from this review, the differences are not only in the firmware version itself, but also in some components of smartphones. And buying an Asian version for use in other countries is far from the best solution, since the device will not work fully.

Differences between the Global (international) version

Global Version, EU, International Version. What does all this mean?

There is no secret here. Xiaomi produces devices for both the domestic market and the global one. Devices for the global market, i.e. countries other than China, have the prefix EU or Global Version. By the way, you can see the last inscription on the packaging of the device. Of course, if the smartphone is intended, for example, for the European market.

How else are the devices different? Obviously, not only by the inscription Indeed, there are differences, but there are still not so many of them.

The packaging of the version for the domestic market has hieroglyphs, while the version for the global market has inscriptions in Latin.

The same applies to the instructions that are inside the package.

Charger for EU. with Euro plug, or UK.England.

There are some differences in the frequency range.

Some smartphones of Chinese modification may not work in LTE Band 20 and Band 4 networks, which are common in some regions of the Russian Federation and Europe. For everyone else, if there is a global firmware, there will be absolutely no difference between the “European” and “Chinese” versions of the smartphone. In most cases, this is irrelevant for the user. To date, these frequencies are not used in Belarus.

There are no differences in the software, the firmware is the same, provided that Global stable is installed, namely this is preinstalled in the smartphones we sell

First of all, let’s divide the MIUI firmware by region. Everything is very simple here.

for the domestic market, it is also Anglo-Chinese. China ROM;
for the international market, global. Global ROM.

These are two basic versions of MIUI firmware, on the basis of which custom firmwares are created. Further, a little more detail about each of the two.

MIUI Global ROM (Global ROM)

This firmware is for smartphones and tablets manufactured outside of China. The international version of MIUI already has pre-installed apps and services from Google. There is a choice of languages here, including Russian.

This version is exclusively released for smartphones sold in the domestic market. The firmware has 2 preinstalled languages - Chinese and English, there are also no Google services and software that works only in China is installed.

How MIUI firmware differ by type?

So far, everything seems very simple, however MIUI is also divided according to its type:

MIUI Developer ROM. for developers, MIUI beta;
MIUI Stable ROM. stable firmware version;
MIUI Ported ROM. these are unofficial versions of MIUI firmware, supported by developers in local markets;
self-made firmware based on MIUI. the same custom ones, but often their “creators” are unknown;
regional MIUI firmware. usually released for models that support a specific type of mobile connection.
MIUI Developer ROM

These firmwares are officially released by Xiaomi developers. Initially, such assemblies are intended for more advanced users who need to be the first to get access to new functions of the operating system. The Developer ROM is designed for testing innovations and often contains various flaws.

That is why updates appear weekly on Fridays (excluding holidays). As soon as errors are found, they are quickly eliminated and the next version of MIUI usually does not have any previously identified flaws.

Calculating firmware for developers is very easy. even by name. For example, if you see that the assembly is called MIUI 8 7.21.4, then it was released on April 21, 2017.

With these firmware versions, everything is much easier. They are also released by the Xiaomi development team, however, these builds are official, stable, tested, with fully functional functions and without obvious glitches that are eliminated in developer builds.

You can safely install such firmware on your phone, but you will not be among the first to get access to the innovations. Here, a choice has been made in favor of stability. Stable ROM firmware updates without a specific schedule, so you may see an update every couple of weeks, or even not get anything new for months.

This type of MIUI firmware includes most custom assemblies, of course, they are all unofficial. You can often come across such firmware for one main reason. outside of China, Xiaomi smartphones usually install localized versions of MIUI, assembled by third-party developers.

We also refer to this type of firmware as high-quality assemblies of enthusiasts who port MIUI to devices from other manufacturers besides Xiaomi.

Basically, Ported ROM MIUI is built on the basis of a stable version of the firmware, or on a developer with the elimination of bugs. Often these custom builds are updated on a specific schedule, but the installation will be done manually.

Custom low-quality MIUI builds

Still, it is necessary to single out a separate subtype from the general picture of custom MIUI firmware. self-made assemblies that pop up on “gray” Xiaomi smartphones. Often, such firmwares have a terrible translation, terrible optimization and there are uncorrected bugs.

If this is the first time you encountered MIUI firmware of this type, then the impression of the operating system and the phone as a whole will surely be spoiled for a long time. Never use assemblies like this.

Regional MIUI ROM / Other versions

These are far from the most common types of MIUI firmware. We noted above that these are mainly regional localized assemblies intended for a specific type of mobile communication or for a specific operator. The most famous firmware WCDMA ROM MIUI and TD ROM. the first will work on models only with support for 3G WCDMA communication (more or less common), and the second. only in the domestic market of China.

We can also divide MIUI firmware according to the simplest criterion. by size.

Full ROM is a full-fledged version of the firmware that you can safely install from scratch on your smartphone. Often, installing such an assembly will fix all errors and other problems that could not be dealt with in other ways. Such a MIUI package offers all the necessary services, which is why the firmware file will not weigh so little. up to 2 GB.

Xiaomi ROM Versions Explained | What you need to know before Buying Xiaomi Smartphone

The Incremental ROM is just an addition to the firmware, updating it with the necessary fixes. Often you can get them by OTA (downloading via WI-FI) if you have the official MIUI firmware installed. stable or for developers. These updates are small. from 20 to 200 MB.

And in conclusion, we note the implicit division of MIUI firmware according to the update method. by OTA or manually.

Any official MIUI firmware has the ability to get an update over the air at any time, but only if you have not manually changed anything in the system files. Because of this, there may be a problem with the OTA update. We’ll have to fix the problem manually. by installing the assembly, which can always be downloaded on the official Xiaomi MIUI forum.

Custom MIUI builds rarely have the ability to update over the air, so they are usually installed manually. To do this, you will have to unlock the bootloader, which has been officially blocked for some time now.

To find out the firmware version installed on your smartphone, you need to go to the system settings and select the lowest item. “About phone”.

In the window that opens, technical information about the system will be displayed, including the firmware version.

Indian version

These devices are manufactured and sold in India. The interface, as usual, is in English. Indian smartphones Xiaomi are offered to the consumer with the installed global firmware. The devices support much fewer LTE bands than their Asian counterparts, due to the use of only a small part of them in India. This allows the manufacturer not to launch support for most bands. It is possible to check all the difference between Indian, Chinese and global firmware on models made specifically for the Indian sales market: RedmiNote 5 Pro, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y2.

MIUI version code. IMEI and Authentication

The CDMA network is widespread in the Middle Kingdom. This assumes in the Asian modification the presence of MEID. IMEI, a specialized identifier used in 3G networks using CDMA. Global modification does not have it. You can determine the presence of MEID by looking at the device settings. You need to open the section “about the phone”, then find “general information” and check if there is a letter combination meid near the IMEI. Its presence means that this is an Asian variety. The absence determines the global variant.

In order to avoid unnecessary worries and problems, it is worth purchasing the official GlobalVersion. This variation works great with all Russian and Western mobile operators, does not require any additional manipulations and supports LTE b20.

The purchase of an Asian modification also has its advantages. Its cost is slightly lower, in addition, it will suit consumers from Ukraine, since there is no LTE b20 there. In addition, they can perfectly function in cdma networks.

It makes sense to choose the variation for the PRC to use if all these differences are not very important to you. You are definitely aware of your actions, you do not need a Russian-language menu.

China ROM

This version is exclusively for the Chinese domestic market. As mentioned above, it only supports Chinese and English. There are many services installed here that do not work in other countries. The name contains the letters CN. Example: “MIUI 8.2 | Stable 8.2.6.0 (MADCNDL) “.

In turn, these firmware are divided into 3 types:

MIUI Developer ROM
MIUI Stable ROM
MIUI Ported ROM

The main differences

MIUI Ported ROM

These are mainly custom builds from third-party developers. They are not official, but this does not mean poor quality at all. Some are quite decent and work without errors. As a rule, they are released for markets where there is no support for the global version. You can distinguish by loading the device: most often the logo of the team that worked on the firmware appears.

Ported ROM can also include authoring firmware made by one person. They need to be treated with extra caution.

Russian version

Rostest firmware is a product certified by Eurotest and Rostest. This modification is similar to the Global version, its operation is possible almost all over the world. The Rostest version is multilingual and supports Google services, besides, it has a rather significant advantage. The owner of a device equipped with this option has the opportunity to repair his gadget throughout the warranty period in official service centers throughout Russia. Global version or Global ROM will not be able to boast of such an advantage. In general terms, the purchase of Rostest is the same if you purchased the device at a cheaper price in Europe, but in the case of warranty service, the user would have to go to repair the device back to this country, or for money at home. By giving preference to Rostest, you get free warranty service, without the need to go anywhere.

What versions of Xiaomi smartphones are there?

To prevent resellers from sweeping all devices off the shelves, thereby causing a shortage, there is a division into eu or global, Indian, Chinese or cn firmware. In addition, the law of the PRC prohibits many Western resources, so Ukrainian, Russian and other European buyers may have problems with a phone purchased in the Middle Kingdom.

With the entry into the international market, there was a clear separation of the global version from the Chinese one. The main differences are in the name and software. Chinese models do not have many European languages, only English, and instead of Google services, local resources. They also have a different modem frequency standard, LTE Band 20 is not used there. The frequencies of cellular networks in the PRC vary: standart TD-SCDMA is widely popular, which is not used in other countries, and LTE operates in other bands.

Due to the fact that devices for the PRC and for export need to be produced slightly different, the company is not interested in selling significant technical modifications in the foreign market. Within a few hours after the release of the new item, it will be bought out by resellers and there will be a shortage of the model in the Middle Kingdom. Because of this, potential buyers will purchase devices from a different brand. In an effort to maintain sales and a good name at the proper level, the company practices various methods of protecting devices.

Let’s take a closer look at what the global version is and how it differs from other options.

How to find out your Xiaomi firmware version

Global Version and Global ROM, in turn, are divided into varieties:

Stable ROM. as the name implies, this modification is stable. When you buy a gadget at an official outlet, you will receive exactly this. This firmware contains a minimum number of bugs, in operation it is quite stable and constant, as well as possible, suitable for installation if the user does not want to have unnecessary problems with the smartphone. They differ in a rather rare release and updates. The title contains the word Stable and four digits representing the version.

Ported ROM is an unofficial version of the firmware. It was developed and released by people not directly related to Xiaomi. But this does not make it of poor quality or bad; basically, it functions reliably and stably. In addition, such employees carry out the localization of versions for implementation in China for introduction to the international market. Reveal them, perhaps when you turn on the smartphone, each organization has its own logo displayed at boot time. Product release schedule for each team has its own.

Developer ROM. This product is intended for developers. It contains the latest functional resources that users have not yet seen. Also, I must say, there are many bugs and unfinished software. The name is composed of the date: year, day, month of the release of the modification. For example, MIUI9 7.11.9, informs the consumer that the products were released in 2017 on November 9.

You should not buy a new Xiaomi product as soon as it was released. Wait 4-5 months until all imperfections and imperfections are eliminated. It was after this time that the smartphone will receive a fully “equipped” software

In addition to all of the above, there are copyright and self-made firmware. The first thing to know about upgrades is that they were created by one person. They added or removed what the author considered necessary. They must be installed very carefully, because it is not known what was the main goal of the creator. Self-made ones also belong to the author’s options, but their quality is far from ideal, if not disgusting.

Also, firmwares are divided by size. There is a Full ROM which is perfect for a smartphone from scratch. It contains all the resources and services required for correct and fast work. The size of this version is quite large: it can weigh about 2 gigabytes. Incremental ROMs usually weigh a little, from 20 to 200 megabytes. This is just an incremental update aimed at fixing flaws in the modification.

Each official version receives the necessary updates over the air, of course, if the user has not changed anything in the system. In order to find out your version installed on the phone, you need to open the system settings, then select the “about phone” section. You will see a window that will provide information about the device’s system and its firmware version.

How to distinguish Global ROM from Global version?

Differences between Global Rom and Global Version. Externally, the boxes are distinguished by the presence of characters in the Chinese version. The Global Rom version has an adapter for Chinese sockets. Also the red box was opened for flashing in China.

What is the ROM version of the firmware?

MIUI Developer ROM: These are firmwares for developers, they also include beta versions of MIUI. Designed to test new functions, to identify and fix problems in the work of the latest firmware version.

How to distinguish the Global version from the Chinese?

The difference between the global version of Xiaomi and the Chinese one lies in the design of the packaging. The box of the international model does not have inscriptions with hieroglyphs, all names and characteristics are indicated in English. Also on it, on the side or on top, there should be a red sticker “Global Version“.

How to distinguish the global version of Xiaomi from the Chinese?

The easiest way to identify the Global Version is by the corresponding inscription on the box and descriptions in English (instead of hieroglyphs). For fidelity, it will also not be superfluous to compare the IMEI of the device with what is indicated on the package (you can find it out by entering the code # in the dialing number).

What is the difference between the Chinese version and the global Mi Band 4?

The global version of the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is similar to the regular Chinese version. It also comes with a 135mAh battery that can last up to 20 days on a single charge. It has no NFC chip, no assistant and no microphone. For the same reason, the global version also lost NFC.

How to distinguish the global version of Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro?

There is only one difference, however, you can immediately determine which market the smartphone was originally intended for. Just look at the back panel and the location of the Redmi logo. The Chinese Redmi Note 8 Pro has the logo on the same mowing line with the main camera, while the European one is rotated at an angle of 90 °.

Indian version

These devices are manufactured and sold in India. The interface, as usual, is in English. Indian smartphones Xiaomi are offered to the consumer with the installed global firmware. The devices support much fewer LTE bands than their Asian counterparts, due to the use of only a small part of them in India. This allows the manufacturer not to launch support for most bands. It is possible to check all the difference between Indian, Chinese and global firmware on models made specifically for the Indian sales market: RedmiNote 5 Pro, Redmi Y1, Redmi Y2.

MIUI version code. IMEI and Authentication

It makes sense to choose the variation for the PRC to use if all these differences are not very important to you. You are definitely aware of your actions, you do not need a Russian-language menu.

Package

The differences begin with the packaging of the device. The design of the international version of Xiaomi does not contain any hieroglyphs or inscriptions in the language of the Middle Kingdom on the box. All definitions, descriptions and recommendations are in English. A very important point is the sticker on the GlobalVersion box: it should be red. The Asian variety is devoid of such a label, and all inscriptions contain hieroglyphs. They are also shown on the shipping films glued to the device. Individual models differ in the design of the boxes.

The back panel of the device, made for Western users, bears the inscription “Made in China”, or “Made in India”, model number, Xiaomi logo. There is also an image of a crossed-out bin, indicating the impossibility of routine disposal due to the presence of a battery. The letters “CE”, placed in the same place, indicate full compliance with all required standards, certification. The Asian counterpart, as a rule, does not contain the model number and any letters, only the company logo is present. The version from Rostest is completed with instructions in Russian.

An honest seller will always post a detailed photo of not only the phone, but also the packaging on the page. Look carefully, there must be a red sticker on the box, with the inscription Globa lVersion.

Russian version

Rostest firmware is a product certified by Eurotest and Rostest. This modification is similar to the Global version, its operation is possible almost all over the world. The Rostest version is multilingual and supports Google services, besides, it has a rather significant advantage. The owner of a device equipped with this option has the opportunity to repair his gadget throughout the warranty period in official service centers throughout Russia. Global version or Global ROM will not be able to boast of such an advantage. In general terms, the purchase of Rostest is the same if you purchased the device at a cheaper price in Europe, but in the case of warranty service, the user would have to go to repair the device back to this country, or for money at home. By giving preference to Rostest, you get free warranty service, without the need to go anywhere.

How to find out your Xiaomi firmware version

Global Version and Global ROM, in turn, are divided into varieties:

Ported ROM is an unofficial version of the firmware. It was developed and released by people not directly related to Xiaomi. But this does not make it of poor quality or bad; basically, it functions reliably and stably. In addition, such employees carry out the localization of versions for implementation in China for introduction to the international market. Reveal them, perhaps when you turn on the smartphone, each organization has its own logo displayed at boot time. Product release schedule for each team has its own.

Global version

The global version is developed primarily for consumers in European countries and the American continent. What does eu or European firmware mean on Xiaomi smartphones? It has designed the necessary Google services and multilingual support. A user from Russia does not need to independently change the firmware, install patches in Russian. As soon as the device is launched for the first time, it will automatically offer to select the desired language. The interface of the device of any model is provided with a high-quality translation, it does not contain incomprehensible hieroglyphs, Chinese software.

XIAOMI: Отличия GLOBAL ROM от GLOBAL VERSION/КАК в Сяоми ОТЛИЧИТЬ GLOBAL VERSION от GLOBAL ROM

With an unlocked bootloader, offenders have the ability to modify the operating system in such a way that they can intercept secret information: passwords from pages, PIN codes from bank cards, messages, and so on.

In addition, the global firmware supports more lte bands, although this may mean little to the average consumer. It is much more important to work with territorial mobile operators, the speed of 4g and more. That is why many people prefer the official EU, rather than the Asian version of Xiaomi.

Sources:

http://xiaomipro.by/otlichiya-global-mezhdunarodnoj-versii.html
http://4systems.ru/inf/chem-otlichaetsja-global-versija-ot-obychnoj/
http://tankistka.ru/chem-otlichaetsya-globalnaya-versiya-Xiaomi-Redmi-note-8-ot-kitayskoy/
http://migid.ru/blog/instruktsii/Xiaomi-global-version.html