It’s well known that Samsung and Apple slowed down branded smartphones as their batteries wore down. Now Xiaomi has decided to take a similar step. Enthusiasts have found hints in the code of the Mi Security application that the charging speed of the company’s smartphones will decrease if non-original batteries are used.
XDA Developers have discovered new settings for battery care and charging management in the Mi Security 5.6.0 application code. The notes for these settings indicate that MIUI will start issuing warnings and reduce the charging speed if it detects that a non-original battery is installed in the smartphone. The code contains message text stating that only authorized technicians should replace the battery and that using a non-original battery may damage the device or cause harm to the user.
So far, the innovation will only affect smartphones Mi 9, Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro and only in China. However, it is likely that in the near future the company will expand the list of models and regions where the new feature will work. It is assumed that the company decided to take this step, since these smartphones support fast charging technology, which increases the requirements for battery quality. Poor quality batteries may swell or catch fire when using fast charging.
It is still unclear how Xiaomi will check the batteries for originality. For example, in the iPhone, the microcontroller is responsible for displaying counterfeit battery usage notifications, which can only be configured by an authorized Apple technician. Perhaps Xiaomi will use the same mechanism.