Oh, well. The HyperOS massive update that will allegedly include almost 100 phones and tablets from Xiaomi and Redmi - and that's set to take place in the first half of 2024 - is now suddenly rumored to be dropping a few devices from its list that were previously said to get the OS update earlier than later (via MySmartPrice).

X/Twitter tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore claims that "All Redmi Note 13 series phones will ship with MIUI 14 based on Android 13, in India as well as globally. All phones will get 3 years of Android updates (up to Android 16) and 4 years of security updates. These phones will not receive Xiaomi HyperOS anytime soon".

Xiaomi is to unveil the Redmi Note 13 series at an event scheduled for January 4, 2024.

Users expect to be introduced to some nice stuff hardware and feature-wise. Like a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a 200MP main camera on the Pro model, with the Pro+ offering IP68 resistance and a Dimensity 7200 Ultra chipset (the Pro will most likely pack a Snapdragon 7 Gen 2) and a 5,100mAh battery. European prices are €450 for the Pro and €500 for the Pro+. Available colors include black, blue, and white, with a 12/512GB RAM variant known so far.

The standard Redmi Note 13 5G uses a Dimensity 6080 SoC, while all models have a 16MP front camera. The Pro and Pro+ feature additional 8MP and 2MP rear cameras. Battery capacity ranges from 5,000mAh to 5,100mAh with fast charging capabilities, and all devices include an in-display fingerprint sensor and IP68 rating for durability.

A couple of months ago, Xiaomi officially announced the Xiaomi 14 series, the first handset of 2023 to take advantage of Qualcomm's brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. As with most China handset launches, the initial launch was in China and it is expected that eventually it will make its way worldwide.

Unfortunately, that might not be the case with the Xiaomi 14 Pro. According to data from Xiaomi's servers, the development of the HyperOS global ROM has ceased, suggesting that Xiaomi might not have plans to bring the Xiaomi 14 Pro to the rest of the world and could remain exclusive to China.

For those who are disappointed by this news, we get it, but there could be a reason for this. A report from last month suggested that Xiaomi could actually be working on an even higher-end version of the Xiaomi 14 that could bear the "Ultra" branding. This means that even though the Pro version won't debut globally, the Ultra might.

The reasoning is that Xiaomi is hoping to push customers to adopt the higher-end (read more expensive) Ultra model instead of the Pro, so maybe that's why they are skipping the Pro's global launch. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is currently rumored to debut in 2024, so we'll have to wait and see what the launch details are then.

While a lot of smartphone manufacturers are working on incorporating the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in their new and upcoming phones, that's not necessarily the case with Redmi's upcoming K70 handset, which is scheduled to launch tomorrow in China.

More specifically, it's expected that the Redmi K70 will feature last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - while it is technically an "older" chip, the 8 Gen 2 has got to be one of the more well-received Qualcomm chips in recent times, thanks to impressive performance and power efficiency. The information was initially shared via Chinese social media site Weibo.

With that being said, it's not exactly surprising to see Xiaomi use older chips on newer devices, given the brand's push for budget-friendly devices which don't necessarily lose out on performance. Other details of the Redmi K70 include two color variants which are available in purple and blue, as well as a 1220p resolution display with up to a whopping 4,000 nits of peak brightness.

Redmi fans will have to tune into tomorrow's K70 launch event, which will be held online and will also showcase the spec'd out Redmi K70 Pro variant.

Unlocking the bootloader on smartphones has been a mixed bag experience as it varies from OEM to OEM. In the past, some have embraced the enthusiast community, while others cite security issues as being the reason to not officially allow the bootloaders of their phones to be unlocked.

Unfortunately for Xiaomi smartphone owners, it seems that the company isn't too keen on allowing the bootloaders of their phones to be unlocked. Speaking to Android Authority, the company confirmed that the bootloader on their phones running HyperOS will be locked by default and that unlocking will be disabled.

This doesn't mean that Xiaomi will disallow the unlocking of the bootloader completely. Instead, users who wish to unlock the bootloader of their Xiaomi phones will need to apply for permission via Xiaomi's community forum. Over in China, it might be even harder because according to MIUI Polska writer Kacper Skrzypek, users in China will need to reach "level five" on the forums, and even then they will have a limit of three unlocked devices per year.

Also, another thing to note is that Xiaomi phones running on MIUI who have their bootloaders unlocked will not receive the update that will upgrade them to HyperOS (which is the new OS Xiaomi introduced in the Xiaomi 14 phones) as long as they remain unlocked.

Xiaomi recently announced the Xiaomi 14 series which consists of the Xiaomi 14 and Xiaomi 14 Pro. But in case you're looking for an even higher-end and more powerful variant, you could be in luck because come early 2024, an Ultra version could be launched.

This is according to a post on Weibo by Digital Chat Station in which they claim that Xiaomi could be working on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra that could debut in the first quarter of 2024. So what will be different about this model compared to the other Xiaomi 14 models? Apparently the display and camera will be some of its most differentiating factors.

The display is said to be slightly curved, similar to phones like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra where the surface will be flat but it will be ever-so-slightly curved along the edges. Its display is rumored to be 6.67-inches and will have a 144Hz refresh rate, and under the hood the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset can be found.

It is also rumored to sport a brand new camera where it will pair the Sony LYT900 sensor together with a Leica Summilux f/f1.42-4.0 lens. Other rumored specs include 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and a 5,000mAh battery with 120W charging. To date there hasn't been an announcement regarding the global availability of the Xiaomi 14 series, but hopefully we'll have more details about that come 2024.