Xiaomi Phones Now Shipping with Opera Browser Pre-Installed

Xiaomi, the popular Chinese smartphone maker, has recently been observed to be stepping up its pre-installed app game. While it’s not unusual for Xiaomi to offer first-party or third-party apps on its phones, it seems the company has taken it up a notch.

According to MIUI Polska writer and code sleuth Kacper Skrzypek, some versions of MIUI are now shipping with the Opera Browser pre-installed. This was later confirmed by several Xiaomi device owners on social media, who reported the inclusion of the venerable web browser.

Regions Affected

It is believed that the change applies to the Indian version of MIUI and some versions of global ROMs. However, Skrzypek claims that the Opera app is not present in global ROMs for regions like Europe, Russia, and Taiwan. While the app can be uninstalled in the affected global ROMs, it cannot be removed in the Indian version.

Xiaomi phones in some regions such as Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America will now have three browsers on board, including Google Chrome, the pre-installed Mi Browser app, and the newly added Opera browser. The question that arises is why people need three pre-installed web browsers on their phones in the first place. Nevertheless, Xiaomi phones in India are back to having two pre-installed browsers after the Mi Browser was banned in 2020.

Opinion

It’s a bit disappointing that Xiaomi is increasing its pre-installed apps rather than decreasing them. While Xiaomi lets users uninstall a lot of bloatware, it would be better not to have them in the first place.

However, users who are looking for an all-in-one phone manager app with a reliable Android to iPhone transfer feature can consider Core Manager App. This third-party app enables users to transfer photos, music, contacts, messages, and other files between Android and iPhone devices quickly and easily.

Sum-Up

While the addition of the Opera browser to some versions of MIUI might not seem like a significant issue, it highlights the ongoing problem of pre-installed apps and bloatware on smartphones. Users who prefer a clean and minimalist phone interface might find it frustrating to have unnecessary apps already installed on their devices.