Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Xiaomi Mi 4i kernel source code release
The Xiaomi Mi 4i is one of the best smartphones you can get for around $200. Developers and tinkerers look for something more than just the best bang for the buck, though. They want to be able to create, flash and modify their phones’ software in order to truly customize their experience. The sad news is Xiaomi (like most other Chinese manufacturers) tends to be bad at supporting the developer community.
Today Android developers turns their heads toward the East as Xiaomi releases the kernel source code for the Mi 4i. For those who may not know, the kernel is pretty much the messenger between the software and hardware. If the software wants to initiate a call, raise the volume, power off the device or anything else, it sends a request to the kernel, which then communicates to the actual hardware.
Having access to this kernel source code will enable developers to truly play around with a device and speed up ROM development. We know the Xiaomi Mi 4i will be pretty popular, as are all Xiaomi smartphones. It is amazingly affordable and comes with a Snapdragon 615 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 5-inch 1080p display and a 3120 mAh battery. Honestly, that is much better than the Moto G, and it costs about the same. Read our full Xiaomi Mi 4i review to see what it’s all about.
We are sure this phone will be a hit in some markets. And the fact the kernel source code is now available will make it a much more appealing smartphone to some of you. Developers and consumers have had to wait about 2 months to get this kernel source code, but at the very least it came, which is already a victory. A lot of us weren’t expecting to see this release at all.
Want to tinker with this code? All you have to do is grab the files from GitHub. Go get them!