Xiaomi rolls out HyperOS 4 in waves, leaving older phones behind

Xiaomi has started rolling out HyperOS 4, its interface built on Android 17, to a first group of phones and tablets. The reports disagree on the start date. 9to5Google said the final version was ready for several Xiaomi, Redmi and Poco phones from November 3, 2026. Engadget said owners of the Xiaomi 17 in China began receiving it on October 15, 2026. Both describe a staged rollout in waves.

According to Xiaomi's China schedule, as reported by Engadget, the first batch covers the Xiaomi 17 series, the Redmi K100 and K90 series and the Xiaomi Pad 8. The Xiaomi 17 Max, 17T, 17T Pro, Redmi K90 Max and Redmi Turbo 5 series were due by October 31. The Xiaomi 15 series, MIX Flip 2, Civi 5 Pro and Redmi K80 series were due by November 15. The Redmi Note 17 and Note 15 lines were due by November 30. The largest batch comes in December and includes the Xiaomi 14 and 13 series, the MIX Fold 3 and 4, the Redmi K70 series and the Redmi Note 14 Pro. 9to5Google lists the Xiaomi 15T series for mid-November and the MIX Flip for December.

Some phones are not on the schedule. Engadget reports that the Xiaomi 12 and 12T, which are at or near the end of support, are missing. Several cheaper models that are still supported have not been tested with HyperOS 4. Ximitime named six models that had not entered testing: the Redmi Note 13 Pro 4G, Redmi Note 14S, Redmi A5 4G, Poco C71, Poco M6 Pro 4G and Poco X6 5G. Xiaomi has not confirmed that these models are excluded. Poco phones, which are not sold in China, do not appear on the Chinese list at all.

Outside China, the picture is less clear. Engadget reports that a global beta opened in September 2026 for the Xiaomi 17, the 17 Ultra and the Leica Leitzphone, and later for other models. Xiaomi has not given a global release date. Beebom reported on October 11 that no timeline had been confirmed for India or any other market. Engadget also says that the AI features are mostly confined to China at present.

Xiaomi describes a translucent design it calls Soft Light Glass, a lock screen clock that can be resized and restyled, and better support for floating apps. The full visual effect runs only on phones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, Dimensity 9500, XRING O1 or a newer chip. Older phones get a simplified version. Xiaomi claims that HyperOS 4 leaves 27.2 percent more memory free after eight hours of use and opens apps 17.5 percent faster after long sessions. 9to5Google reports a figure of nearly 20 percent for app launches, driven by a background AI model that learns usage patterns. The voice assistant Super XiaoAI 2.0 now runs on Xiaomi's own MiMo model and adds an Expert Mode for multi-step tasks.

Several questions remain open. Xiaomi has not said whether the Xiaomi 13 series, which is on the December list, will receive Android 17 or an HyperOS 4 build based on Android 16. Engadget notes that the newest Xiaomi phones already received Android 17 in July 2026 through an interim release called HyperOS 3.3. Phones that are left off the schedule will stay on HyperOS 3 if they are not added later.