HyperOS 4 beta rollout begins as Xiaomi confirms "soft-light glass" design for more devices

With a recent announcement, Xiaomi has detailed its new Android 17 skin, HyperOS 4. In the Weibo blog post, the company highlights multiple key improvements, and the brand has also started the beta program to get user feedback.

Over 20 devices are confirmed to receive the Android 17 beta in August and September 2026. As Xiaomi has just announced, among them, eight devices have already started to receive the test HyperOS 4 update. They are:

• Xiaomi 17 Ultra (16/512GB Leica Edition curr. $1,290.78 on TradingShenzhen)
• Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
• Xiaomi 17 Pro
• Xiaomi 17
• Redmi K90
• Redmi K90 Pro Max
• Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
• Xiaomi Pad 8

It's worth noting that the program has started in China, and the HyperOS 4 test update isn't officially available for other regions yet. The good part is that Xiaomi is expected to announce Android 17 beta for global users soon.

As for the update itself, Xiaomi highlights a handful of core improvements. For instance, the brand says the HyperOS system kernel has been upgraded to reduce system load and improve memory preloading performance. The new Android 17 skin aims to offer a smooth and fluid experience, and the company says that it has made changes to the animations to deliver that.

Speaking of which, the UI elements and animations seem to be inspired by iOS 27, with Xiaomi's version of "Liquid Glass" design called "soft-light glass." There's a focus on AI-powered features, and Xiaomi has integrated the MiMo V2 model. Other notable highlights include privacy-related improvements and the HyperOS ecosystem.

"Soft-light glass" effect is limited at first, but will expand after the beta program

The "Soft-light glass" effect will not be available to all devices during the beta phase. As Xiaomi confirmed, this UI design needs further optimization, and initially, only the devices with the Snapdragon 8 Elite or higher, Dimensity 9500 or higher, and Xring O1 or higher will get it. The good part is that the company plans to implement it on devices beyond those on the first beta rollout list, including older models like the Redmi K70 and Xiaomi 13.