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Lead:
Recently, a storm swept through the MIUI closed beta version, and the adjustment of the GMS service framework has attracted widespread attention. This change involves user experience and the prospects of the domestic mobile phone industry, far from being as simple as technical fine-tuning. This article will delve into this incident, explain its ins and outs, and explore possible solutions for users of GMS services.
The beginning and end of the event
An upgrade of the MIUI closed beta version caused a huge storm, especially the readjustment of the GMS strategy of some models.
One of the most notable moves was the removal of the whitelist of Google's frameworks. Many users were surprised to learn that they could no longer use Google's entire ecosystem without warning, and even GMS that had been installed through third-party channels was wiped out.
The MIUI forum instantly turned into a lively venue, and users rushed to find solutions. However, there was no immediate and clear response, and a member of the MIUI answer group claimed that models that did not come pre-installed with the GMS service framework would no longer enjoy special support.
This news has sparked a large number of users dissatisfaction and complaints, and there are even rumors that Xiaomi phones may completely abandon the GMS service framework.
Over time, Xiaomi officials finally released multiple statements clarifying the ins and outs of the incident. They made it clear that this upgrade will only affect models that do not have GMS pre-installed, and promised to expand the range of models with pre-installed GMS services to meet the needs of different users, and international models will not be affected by this upgrade.
The indispensability of GMS
GMS, or Google Mobile Services, is the core of Google's mobile services, bringing together Google applications and APIs.
It is capable of running Google services and apps on certified Android devices, including Google accounts, Google Play, Google Pay, and more. For foreign Android devices and applications, GMS is almost indispensable.
However, for the vast majority of users, GMS services rarely need to be involved in daily use, so whether they are built in or not has little impact on them. However, if you need to use some foreign applications, such as Facebook, Twitter, or participate in international games, you must rely on GMS services.
Some of the users directly affected by this incident are those who play the international version of the game, and they have said that they can only look for alternatives, one of which is to switch to the iPhone. While downloading the international version of the game on iOS still requires a US or Japanese account, the process is much simpler than reinstalling the GMS.
The business value of GMS
It is worth noting that GMS is not free, and there are also certain compliance disputes in the "whitelist" mechanism. In the early days, domestic mobile phone brands did not enter the international market on a large scale, so Google did not force mobile phone manufacturers to install GMS services, which led many enthusiasts to solve the problem by installing GMS frameworks themselves.
However, with the internationalization of domestic mobile phone brands, the built-in GMS framework has become an inevitable choice. Nowadays, new models of OPPO, vivo, realme, OnePlus and other mobile phone manufacturers will be pre-installed with GMS services, which lowers the threshold for domestic users to use international applications.
However, not all models need to install GMS, and some domestic models do not authorize to pay Google licensing fees due to performance, memory and storage space limitations, and do not install GMS. However, some users still need GMS, so some manufacturers allow certain models to enter the "white list" of GMS, and add GMS service frameworks to the system in a non-rooted way, which not only circumvents Google's licensing fees, but also meets the needs of some users.
MIUI adjustment background
However, as Google's policy on the use of the GMS framework tightened, it began to block the way for unauthorized devices to install GMS services. Therefore, some Xiaomi models found that they could no longer use the GMS service after the MIUI internal beta upgrade, which was a measure taken by Xiaomi for compliance.
Zhang Guoquan, director of Xiaomi's system software, explained in detail on Weibo why some models are not suitable for installing GMS services. He mentioned the security risks, model performance and resource considerations for installing GMS services on your own, and plans to pre-install GMS services in the future.
However, some users are skeptical about the explanation for removing GMS to improve performance, especially considering that GMS licensing costs are not high. According to the report, the GMS licensing fee is roughly $0.75 per unit, based on the number of models. While this number may fluctuate, the revenue is still significant given the volume of sales.
Forethought or cost control?
It is worth mentioning that the MIUI upgrade mainly affects mid-range models, which are the core force of Xiaomi's market share. Therefore, there is
Some observers speculate that MIUI's removal of the GMS service framework may also be related to cost control.
In addition, the reason why the removal of the GMS framework from the MIUI closed beta version was widely spread and attracted attention was partly because Xiaomi's official failure to warn users in advance, causing some users to feel troubled. However, with repeated official responses, the course of the incident gradually became clear.
For those who rely on GMS services, now they need to make some decisions. The MIUI forum once suggested using "Google Installer" to solve the problem, but with MIUI unwhitelisted, such installers have become ineffective. For now, either choose not to upgrade MIUI or consider using Root to solve the problem.
However, it should be noted that rooting the phone will affect the warranty of the hardware and reduce the security of the phone.
One option is to flash the phone to MIUI overseas or flash third-party apps, but this may mean losing some localized services. Another option is to continue using the MIUI domestic version after rooting the phone, and re-flash the GMS framework after each upgrade. While this requires some extra effort, at least some localized services can be retained.
In the end, the ideal solution is to wait for the official to provide official upgrades for suitable models after consideration to make up for the lack of GMS service framework.
Domestic mobile phone manufacturers have also begun to pre-install GMS services on new models, so we hope that this speculation will eventually become a reality, allowing more models to have built-in GMS services to meet the needs of different users.
In summary, the removal of the GMS service framework from the MIUI internal beta version has triggered extensive discussions, not only technical adjustments, but also related to the user experience and the future of the domestic mobile phone industry. Choosing how to respond to this change is an important decision for users, weighing solutions based on individual needs and preferences.