Xiaomi MIUI 7 Release Date Is Aug. 13: Will It Be Showcased On Mi5?

Xiaomi has announced it is releasing the next version of its Android skin, MIUI 7, on Aug. 13, and that has fans hoping the event in China will also see the launch of the much anticipated Mi5 handset.

Xiaomi’s choice of the date may be a coincidence, or perhaps not, as global smartphone leader Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is widely expected to release its top-end Galaxy Note 5 on the same day.

True to style, Xiaomi has sent out invites with teasers for its event, this time with the number 7 made up of tangram shapes. The event is to be held in Beijing, at the China National Convention Center, and Xiaomi is also giving fans a chance to win invitation letters, strictly as souvenirs, as well as MIUI 7 T-shirts.

In addition to their high-end specs and low prices, Xiaomi’s phones are popular for the many tweaks and features that the MIUI offers on top of the stock Android versions. The last time Xiaomi released a new MIUI version, it also released a new premium handset, the Mi4, which became one of the company’s best-selling premium handsets.

As a result, anticipation is high that the Mi5 will be the phone on which the MIUI 7 will be showcased. In the eyes of Xiaomi fans, the Mi5 has been much delayed. It was first rumored to be released in December at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but Xiaomi released a new flagship, the Mi Note, a larger phablet.

The Mi5 is now widely believed to be the next smartphone that Xiaomi will release, and many expect it will also be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset, while the current premium Android flagship phones run on the 801 or 810 versions.