Xiaomi is in the headlines again! After the uber-successful Xiaomi Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite launched in summer of 2018, Xiaomi is heading towards its third generation of Android One smartphones or at least that’s what a source has claimed. As per the intel, a code-name orchid_sprout appeared on Android Pie user interface that was rolled out for Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi Mix 3.
To understand the subtle clue, Google uses sprout to point towards an Android One device and since the code-name appeared on a Xiaomi smartphone, it is clear that an upcoming smartphone from Xiaomi wields the code-name.
To put things into context, the first-gen Mi A1 was named as tissor_sprout while the latest Mi A2 was launched under jasmine_sprout while the Mi A2 Lite was named as daisy_sprout. Since Xiaomi Mi A-series is the only lineup to get Android One, it is simple to deduce that orchid_sprout is probably an A-series device and since it has already been few months after the Mi A2 and A2 Lite were unleashed, the new code-name that popped up recently is probably of a new smartphone i.e. Mi A3.
Xiaomi has great specs when it comes to the hardware part, however, there is a wider range of people who don’t like its software end (MIUI) which is why an Android One smartphone allows the users to use Xiaomi’s hardware combined with Google’s latest Android out-of-the-box. More importantly, smartphones signed up under this programme are promised three years of monthly security updates plus a two year Android operating system updates i.e. it will probably get Android Pie out-of-the-box if it hits before Google launched its Android Q and will continue to get Android Q and Android R in the future if covered under the period aforementioned.
Moving further, Xiaomi Mi A3 or orchid_sprout will get NFC chip from NXP which means if the said smartphone exists, it will probably get an NFC support with glass back likely paving the path for wireless charging although it might not be possible with a midrange smartphone. Finally, there is a colossal chance that Xiaomi could shelve the orchid_sprout totally since Xiaomi has practiced the same a number of times and we don’t know much about the speculations, we can’t actually comment at this moment.
