In recent years, Xiaomi has taken over markets by offering impressive specs at prices that seem understated. However, behind the facade of availability and the “people’s smartphone” lurks a number of trade-offs that sellers are silent about. Many users who have bought a flagship or budget phone of this brand face intrusive advertising, lockdowns and difficulties in operation.
In this article, we will discuss in detail why you should not buy Xiaomi if you value your time, nerves and privacy. We will not just scold the brand, but will give you specific technical and software reasons that make you think before buying.
First of all, it’s worth noting that the brand ecosystem is built on aggressive monetization of user experience, something that is initially perceived as a free option becomes a source of irritation over time, and the HyperOS system that replaced MIUI did not eliminate the fundamental problems with intrusive content, but only disguised them as new animations.
Advertising in the system and intrusive software
The main reason many people refuse to buy their devices is because of the software shell, and even in expensive models, you might find banner ads in standard applications, and these are not just pop-ups, but deeply integrated interface elements.
Embedded applications such as Explorer, Security, or Music often contain recommendations for third-party content. To disable this feature, the user needs to go through several levels of settings, find hidden switches, and manually deactivate ad personalization.
- 📢 Advertising banners in system folders and menus.
- 📺 Automatic video playback in the news feed.
- 🔔 Intrusive notifications from pre-installed Mi services.
⚠️ Warning: Fully disabling ads often requires manual disabling of msa service (MIUI System Ads in hidden settings, which can be difficult for the average user.
And there's a lot of apps that you can't remove with standard methods, and they take up space and consume resources in the background. If you want a clean Android, you're going to have to spend your time dancing with a diamond right after you unpack the box.
📊 Have you encountered advertising in the smartphone menu?
Yeah, it's always annoying.
I have, but I have.
No, I have a clean version.
I use my iPhone.
Problems with Global Versions and Region Lock
One of the biggest problems when buying equipment from China is the so-called regional lock: If you decide to save and order a device through marketplaces or gray sellers, you risk getting a phone that will stop ringing once activated in your region.
The company has implemented a verification mechanism SIM-If. IM-The device code indicates that it is intended for the Chinese or Indian market, and SIM-The card is inserted in European or Russian, the phone can block calls, unlocking is often paid and requires contacting the service center with checks.
There's also the problem of cross-stitched versions. Global firmware on Chinese devices (CN to Global) often has cropped functionality. For example, some communication bands (B20, NFC or Android Auto) may not work. You buy a flagship, but you get a stripped-down functionality of the budgetary.
- 🚫 Blocking calls when changing the region of use.
- 📉 Lack of support for certain frequencies LTE and 5G.
- 🔒 Inability to unlock the bootloader for installing custom firmware.
How to check your phone before buying?
Enter the code ##6484## in the dialer. If the menu doesn't open or shows Chinese, you'll see it. CN-version, the risk of blocking is high. MIUI Software optimization is the brand's Achilles heel. Despite its powerful hardware, the shell often doesn't work well. Users complain in droves about micro-freezes, accidental reboots and auto-brightness issues. With new versions, things often get worse. Updates that should bring new functionality often add bugs. Unlike competitors who have been testing software for years, updates come out often but raw. Aggressive background control causes applications to be unloaded from memory too quickly. You can open the navigator, switch to the messenger, and the navigator will already restart again, knocking the route down. ⚠️ Warning: Before installing major updates, be sure to do a full data backup, as the likelihood of information loss or “bricking” is above average. To understand whether a game is worth a candle, let’s compare typical Xiaomi device performance with competitors in the same price segment. Often it turns out that “cheap” is achieved by saving on case materials, screens or communication modules. Xiaomi (Budget/Middle) Competitor A (Samsung) Competitor B (Realme) Case Materials Plastic / Cheap Glass / Aluminum Plastic / Metal Support for updates 2-3 years (often with a delay) 4-5 years guaranteed 2-3 years The presence of advertising There (requires shutdowns) No Minimum Liquidity on used Low (loses 50% per year) High Average As can be seen from the table, the overpayment for the competitor's brand is often paid for the build quality and the lack of spending longer on the liquidation of the phone, if you are often using the first product on the market, the same 1-2 years. 💡The savings on purchase are often illusory when you consider the loss of value of the device when resold after a year of use.Camera quality: marketing versus reality On paper, Xiaomi cameras look great: 108 MP, 200 MP, optical stabilization. But in practice, photo processing algorithms often fail to produce unnatural color and excessive noise cancellation, and in good lighting, the images can be great, but when the light gets more complicated (evening, room), and problems begin to emerge. Noisy "smear" details, turning textures into mush, and white balance "walks" from frame to frame. Video shooting is also often limited. Stabilization can work in jerks, and focusing can "breathe." For bloggers or those who like to shoot videos for social networks, this can be a critical disadvantage compared to the iPhone or Samsung flagships. 📸 Peresharp and Unnatural Colors by Default. 🌙 Weak detail in night mode. 🎥 Problems with stabilization during recording 4K. Another aspect that is forgotten when buying is repairability: If you smash the screen of a popular Samsung or iPhone, you can find a replacement in any service in an hour. Xiaomi is more complicated. Original displays are difficult to find, and their cost can reach the highest level. 70-80% Service centers often don't stock parts for all models, especially those that came out six months ago, have to wait weeks for delivery from China, and many models (especially those with curved screens) have complex and expensive repairs. Adhesive frames and fragile glass make replacing the screen a risky procedure even for masters. ☑️ Check before buying used Xiaomi Check the presence of the Mi Account Check IMEI Check the screen sensor to check the work NFC and Wi-Fi Completed: 0 / 4 Frequently asked questions (FAQ) Is Xiaomi really stealing user data? Privacy remains an open question, with cases of data transfers to servers in China in the past, and while the company denies this, the use of third-party launchers and limited access rights is recommended for paranoid users. Can you completely remove ads without root rights? Yes, but it takes time. You need to turn off the personalization of ads in your account settings, turn off the recommendations in every system application, and ban Internet access for msa. 2026 year? If you're willing to put up with banner ads, spend time setting up, and don't fear resale problems -- yes, you'll get a powerful hardware for that money. If you want a buy-and-forget phone, you'd better look at other manufacturers. Is it true that global versions are worse than Chinese? Often, yes. Global versions cut out some features (for example, recording calls without notice, work). NFC And the build quality may be inferior to the domestic Chinese market. How do you check your phone for a regional lock? SIM-If the phone requires a Wi-Fi connection to activate and shows a regional reference message, the device is locked. IMEI.