The Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first smartphone with stock Android OS that was launched last year. Running on Android One program, the smartphone comes with a couple of Xiaomi apps – which includes the camera app and the Mi Remote app. Now, the benefit of stock Android One program was to enable faster software updates, which clearly doesn’t seem to be case here. And if you can’t wait for the official rollout of Android 9 Pie OS for Xiaomi Mi A1, there is a way to still try it out.
LineageOS, an aftermarket, open-source operating system is well known among the developer community. It brings stock Android experience with some added extras to the mix. And while the team is yet to release official built, it has been testing the early version of Android 9 Pie-based LineageOS 16 ROM on a number of devices.
Watch: Xiaomi Mi A1 first look
Now, XDA Senior Member abhishek987 and Recognized Developer flex1911, have ported the ROM to the MI A1, have been successfully testing an experimental version on the smartphone. It also includes a fully functional 4.9 kernel port. If you have a rooted Mi A1 and want to test the LineageOS 16 ROM, head over to this link – bit.ly/2qAbOfY.
Do note that this is an early build, so some things may not work. There are chances where your smartphone will tend to become unresponsive, apps may force close, random reboots may occur, and some core features may not work. Don’t flash the ROM on a smartphone that is your daily driver. Still, if you want to be a little adventurous, follow the instructions on the XDA Developers page (link above).
