The Xiaomi Mi A1 finally reaches the end of its support lifespan but life continues thanks to a wide array of custom ROMs

While Xiaomi's Mi A-series has turned out to be a rather iffy venture, it should not be forgotten that the company all but brought the Android One program to the public eye with the Mi A1. And now, three years later, the Mi A1 has finally run its race to the end.

The Mi A1 was released in September 2017 as Xiaomi's first Android One offering. Since then, the company has gone on to release the Mi A2, Mi A2 Lite, and Mi A3. While it appears that Xiaomi will not release a Mi A4, over the past three years, the Mi A-series has offered great value for enthusiasts seeking an affordable Xiaomi device without the trappings of MIUI. 

Back in August, we revealed that the Mi A1 could possibly have received its last update, as the August patch made for a total of three years of updates. Two months later, that seems to be the reality of the matter. The Mi A1 wasn't updated in September and hasn't received the October update either. It's safe to say that Xiaomi has ended software support for the phone. The Android One program promises three years of updates in total, with two major OS updates included.

Xiaomi may not send any more updates to the Mi A1 but that doesn't have to be the end of the road for the device. As with most Xiaomi devices, the Mi A1 has an extremely healthy custom ROM scene, with a large array of stable ROMs on offer. Android 10, for example, is available in the form of Pixel Experience, crDroid, and Lineage OS 17. Other notable ROMs include Paranoid Android and Ressurection Remix, all of which offer stable, daily-drivable builds. What's not to love?