TL; DR
- HyperOS 3 launched in China with Super Island, new iOS-inspired icons, status bar, and AI.
- It’s mostly an iterative upgrade over HyperOS 2, with very few new features.
- Global rollout is still far off; India may get it in late 2025, but AI features might not make it here.
Xiaomi has unveiled HyperOS 3 in China, the first big Chinese smartphone OS announcement of the year. Built on Android 16, it comes earlier than expected and independent of any new flagship phone launch. Xiaomi talks about smoother animations, smarter AI, and tighter ecosystem flow, but this seems like an iterative upgrade over HyperOS 2 rather than a dramatic overhaul with all-new features. Let’s take a look.
Super Island and Fresh Icons
The most prominent addition is Super Island, Xiaomi’s take on Apple’s Dynamic Island. It sits at the top of the screen and expands to show real-time updates like flight details, ride bookings, music controls, timers, navigation, and messaging. Animations look fluid, but third-party app support will be the real test.
The design (and even the name) of the Super Island is very similar to Dynamic Island, unlike what we’ve seen with Origin Island and Live Alerts on ColorOS. One thing that the Super Island does different is that it appears in the notification tray too.
The UI gets a new coat of paint too, at least parts of the UI. Redesigned icons that look suspiciously similar to iOS 18 icons (not sure about third-party icon pack support yet), a refreshed status bar that’s borrowed from iOS, and adjustable homescreen grids make the interface feel more modern.
Lock screen customization steps up with AI wallpapers, cinematic effects, a new centered clock, and a one-stop editing tool. The control center is now very close to iOS 18, with rounded toggles and icons resembling the iOS ones. Even the toggle on and off colors are similar to iOS 18.
System App Changes
There is also a new dialer app with large icons, and many system apps have been refreshed with new icons. Along with that, HyperOS 3 introduces a new Photos app with a more convenient layout, supporting custom sorting on the homepage and album pages.
You can now simply paste photos and videos from your album into someone else’s album, and what’s more, you can even paste and transfer photos between iPhones. New watermarks in the camera app have also been introduced.
AI and Privacy
HyperOS 3 brings Super Xiao AI deeper into the system for content recognition, smarter suggestions, and camera improvements. As per Xiaomi, portrait shots now transition more smoothly, zooming is fluid, and Leica phones get special color and editing options. However, just like earlier versions, these AI features might stay limited to China.
Privacy updates are small but welcome, with dual authentication, stronger encryption, and safer multi-device logins.
Performance and Ecosystem
Xiaomi claims that they’ve optimized over 100 animations, improved the system efficiency thanks to Xiaomi’s own chips on the 15T Pro, and the overall fluency has been improved. However, only real world testing will tell whether or not these improvements are actually noticeable.
The ecosystem is also expanding beyond just Xiaomi devices. Photos can be pasted directly between Xiaomi and iPhones, notifications sync across platforms, and you can even unlock Macs or iPads using your Xiaomi device.
Beta Rollout: China Only
The beta rollout begins today in China, with recruitment already live for these devices:
- Smartphones: Xiaomi 15, 15 Pro, 15 Ultra, 15S Pro, Redmi K80 Pro, K80 Extreme Edition, Redmi Note 14 series, POCO F7 models
- Tablets: Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro, Pad 7S Pro 12.5
Older models might top out at Android 15-based builds and won’t get the full HyperOS 3 experience. The stable rollout is expected by Q4 2025 in China, while the global timeline hasn’t been confirmed.
Based on past rollouts, India may only see HyperOS 3 in early 2026, and while most of the UI upgrades should make it here, history suggests many AI features might not.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, HyperOS 3 is a very iterative upgrade over HyperOS 2. It doesn’t bring a lot of new features, and the ones that are here, like Super Island, new icons, and iOS-inspired status bar and control center, are things we’ve already seen on other skins.
The lock screen customization on HyperOS 3, though, is honestly one of the best in the industry, and I’m a huge fan of it. I was hoping they’d add widgets to the lock screen, but that didn’t happen. The ecosystem features are nice, though I’m not sure if we’ll get to see them in India.
Xiaomi might be the first to announce a new OS this year, but the real shake-ups could arrive with ColorOS 16 and Funtouch OS 16, both expected to bring bigger design overhauls and a host of new features. Anyway, what are your thoughts on HyperOS 3? Let me know in the comments below.
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