Xiaomi quite surprisingly rolled out ‘stable beta’ Android 12 builds just a couple of days ago for pilot testers, becoming the first OEM to deem the fresh OS version anywhere close to stable. This update has now been reported to kill some devices.
As per Xiaomiui and user feedback from relevant communities, the Android 12 update for the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11, and Mi 11i can hard-brick your phone and turn it into a paperweight, at least for the moment. It is unclear if the hard-brick state is easy to recover from.
The updates guilty of the issue carry version numbers 12.5.1.0.SKAMIXM, 12.5.1.0.SKBMIXM, and 12.5.1.0.SKKMIXM for the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11, and Mi 11i respectively. Xiaomiui says that the issue strikes during the installation process.
Now, Xiaomi does warn users to always back up their data due to potential loss of data as part of prerequisites for the Mi Pilot Testers program. But the bricking problem is still surprising considering the builds had been slapped with the ‘Stable MIUI based on Android 12’ label, despite obviously not being anywhere close to stable.
Further, Wang Hua, General Manager of Xiaomi PR, had recently emphasized that Android 12 still needs a lot of work – all the more reason to keep the OS iteration limited to Chinese beta testers for now.
Users looking to try out Android 12 at such an early stage are thus advised to not upgrade to the aforementioned builds and back up their data prior to the installation of any similar future releases.
As for those that are unable to recover from the hard-bricked state, it is recommended to take the affected device to the nearest service center. A brick isn’t the end of the world and can be recovered from, albeit with a likely loss of data.
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