differences and what you win and what you lose

We explain what are the differences between buying a Xiaomi with a global MIUI ROM and one with the version for China. We also address the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

We are going to explain to you what are the differences between the MIUI Global ROM and China ROM. This interests you if you are considering the possibility of buy one of the Xiaomi devices directly on the Chinese market. If you have been seduced by any of the models that will only be sold in the Asian country, you should know what software differences you will find with a phone purchased in Spain.

stay with us for Know everything about the Chinese version of MIUI and how it differs from MIUI for China.

What versions of MIUI currently exist?

There are many manufacturers that launch regionally segmented variants of their personalization layers. A very famous case is that of samsungoften update android earlier in some territories than in others. This allows brands to include services based on agreements you have with other companies in certain countries. Continuing with the Korean company, if you buy a Galaxy with the OneUI variant from another country, you may have little-known applications installed in your territory or you may not have access to Samsung Pay.

This example helps us to talk about what happens with MIUI and global and Chinese ROMs. Xiaomi has divided its customization layer into two. On the one hand, it develops a China-specific MIUI variant, which includes local services and support for the country’s language. And, on the other hand, it has an international version of MIUI to be installed on phones sold outside of Chinese borders. Let’s get to know both variants a little more thoroughly.

world roms

The new version of Xiaomi’s customization layer, MIUI 15, will be released in November and will be based on Android 14

The Xiaomi Global ROMs It is the one that is used as a base to create more specific MIUI variants, such as the European or the Indian one. This version developed by the company is often also known as global version.

Sometimes there is a major confusion with the terminology, as some devices advertised with Global ROM actually carry the Chinese version adapted to the international market. However, when we talk about the global ROM in this article, we are always going to refer to any variant other than the Chinese ROM.

The characteristics of the Xiaomi global or international ROM are as follows:

• Developed for everyone. This ROM includes functions designed for the international market, such as support for mobile payments or access to Western services.
• Does not include Chinese platforms. With the exception of services like TikTok, which of course also comes in its international version, there are no Chinese applications installed in the Global ROM.
• It is compatible with all international network bands. Simply insert a SIM into your new Xiaomi to start using.
• Includes support for Google applications. Any Xiaomi that you buy in Spain comes with Gmail, Chrome, Maps and, most importantly, the Play Store.
• Available in all languages ​​supported by Android. A Xiaomi with Global ROM can be configured in Spanish, Catalan, Basque or Galician, languages ​​that Android fully supports.
• It is installed on more devices. The Global ROM is deployed on a higher number of devices because it is intended for the international market.

chinese rom

The MIUI China ROM, for its part, is designed for the Chinese market. Therefore, it presents the following characteristics:

• Its development is specific. Since it is intended to work only in China, Xiaomi adds specific features that are not in the rest of the world. That causes some MIUI tools to only be available for China for a while, until they are implemented in the Global ROM. As you can see, we are talking about two well-differentiated developments.
• Does not support all network bands. This is an important question, since a cell phone purchased in China will probably not work with the networks used in Europe or the United States.
• Does not include Google applications. In the China ROM there is no access to the Play Store and only locally known apps can be used.
• Available languages. This ROM can only be set to Chinese or English.

As you can see, the differences are notable. Now, it is good to note that the MIUI China ROM is based on Android and can be adapted, as we have already said, to the international market.

Before the arrival of Xiaomi in Spain, in 2017, which came hand in hand with the opening of physical storesthe only way to acquire a Xiaomi was to buy it in China. Many of these phones They came with the ROM developed for the countrybut it is easy to install Google services and the rest of the languages.

By this we mean that there are no structural differences between MIUI for China and for the international market. Android is the system under the customization layer, and as usual, it’s easy to tweak.

List of MIUI versions by region and how to know yours

MIUI and its characteristic interface design “inspired” by iOS

The fact that there is a Global ROM does not mean that Xiaomi does not adapt its customization layer to smaller regions. Here is a complete list with all MIUI regions:

• MIUI China (CN). MIUI China is the pure version of MIUI, fast and stable. It contains China-specific apps and is frequently updated. It is only available on devices sold in China, although it can be installed on global devices via a computer. This version only supports English and Chinese.
• MIUI Global (MI). It is the main ROM of MIUI Global. Includes Google apps like Phone, Messages, and Contacts. It does not have China-specific features and may have stability issues due to the integration of more Google features into the interface.
• MIUI India Global (IN). It is the version of MIUI used in phones sold in India. Previously, it included Google apps, but due to a penalty from the Indian government to Google, Xiaomi decided to include its own calling and messaging app in the MIUI interface for devices released in India.
• MIUI EEE Global (EU). It is the version of MIUI Global adapted to European standards. It is customized for Europe and complies with the legal characteristics of the region. It allows the use of alternative search engines on the phone and is updated with the same frequency as MIUI Global.
• MIUI Russia Global (RU). It is a ROM similar to the Global version, but with search applications owned by Google. Allows you to use Yandex as the default search engine. It also includes new MIUI 13 widgets.
• MIUI Türkiye Global (TR). This ROM is similar to EEA Global, but includes Turkey specific apps. It is adapted for the Turkish market.
• MIUI Indonesia Global (ID). Unlike other global ROMs, MIUI Indonesia includes MIUI’s own phone, messaging and contacts apps instead of Google’s apps. It allows the recording of calls and is one of the most stable ROMs.
• MIUI Taiwan Global (TW). The MIUI Taiwan ROM has phone, messaging and contacts apps similar to MIUI Indonesia. It also includes Taiwanese characters in the search application. It is stable and similar to the Indonesian ROM.
• MIUI Japan Global (JP): These ROMs are similar to MIUI Global, but come with Japan specific apps. Some devices in Japan have different ROMs due to exclusive variants. Different SIM cards can be used.
• Other MIUI regions (LM, KR, CL, MX): These regions are carrier-specific and contain carrier-specific applications. They are variants of the Global ROM and contain Google applications.

How to know what version my Xiaomi has?

It is that easy to see the MIUI code that tells you what the system region is

if you have bought your Xiaomi in SpainThe normal thing is that it has the European version, which starts from the Global ROM. However, if you want to clear up your doubts, these are the steps you must follow to know the installed version:

1. Open the settings.
2. press on About this phone.
3. Look at the section MIUI version.
4. In the code that you will see, marked in red in the image above, look at the fourth and fifth digits.
5. If you see EU, it means that you have the Global ROM, adapted for Europe.

Compare the result of this query with the list that we offer you above.

Is it advisable to buy a Xiaomi with China ROM today?

From our point of view, we think not. The fact that Xiaomi has a presence in Spain makes acquiring one of the devices launched in China has become less attractive. For example, these devices, in addition to including Google applications and being in Spanish, are also not covered by the 3-year commercial guarantee in force in our country.

We think that only in the event that you find an offer to buy a Xiaomi in China, the investment is worth it. In all other cases, it is always advisable to choose to buy the mobile in your country of residence.