Xiaomi’s latest launches deliver some compelling Android hardware, but also continue to show just how often Xiaomi tends to clone Apple’s designs.
Xiaomi has a bit of a history when it comes to taking notes from Apple. Between familiar hardware designs, names, and countless software clones, it’s far from uncommon. That doesn’t mean Xiaomi’s products can’t stand out on their own, but it happens a little too often to be a coincidence.
This week, Xiaomi presented its latest global product launches including the Xiaomi 15T. But it also showed off a couple of updates that, well, just feel like Apple clones.
The first is HyperOS 3, Xiaomi’s Android 16 update.
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Xiaomi says that HyperOS 3 will deliver new “HyperConnect” cross-device features, new AI features (of course), improved gallery search, and better Gemini integration. The update, rolling out starting in October, looks good, but there are a couple of UI elements that are clearly copied from Apple. One of those is a new lockscreen with “Dynamic Wallpapers” that can push portions of the photo above the clock, just like Apple introduced in iOS a while back.
Much more egregious is “HyperIsland,” which is a direct clone of Apple’s Dynamic Island. It shows content such as timers, recordings, media controls, battery life, reminders, and more all in a dedicated portion of the screen around the selfie camera. The animations and styles here are eerily similar to Apple’s.
We’ve seen plenty of Dynamic Island clones on Android but this one is… a lot.
The other thing that stands out in Xiaomi’s latest batch of announcements is the Xiaomi Pad Mini, a compact Android tablet. The 8.8-inch tablet is bigger than Apple’s iPad Mini, but looks really similar otherwise. The physical design is just so similar to Apple’s, right down to the button placement. And uh… that purple.
Compact Android tablets have been making a comeback as of late. Personally, I’m all for it, but Xiaomi’s “Pad Mini” is definitely aiming more at being an iPad Mini clone than any of the other options we’ve seen.
Is it a problem for Xiaomi to copy Apple?
No!
There’s a reason Apple’s products are popular, and Xiaomi has made its own name. But what do you think of these latest examples?
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