If, after a couple of months with Android, the black backgrounds and white text in all of the menus start to get on your nerves, then MIUI is exactly what the doctor ordered. It’s gorgeous. And yes, it looks a bit like the iPhone, but that is far from a bad thing. The tabs are cleaner, and all options menus in applications look revamped, easier on the eyes and just plain beautiful. Try to go back from MIUI to a regular Android installation and you will scream tragedy.
MIUI's settings menu and drop down notification bar
Lockscreen
One of the first improvements on stock Android that you will see in MIUI is the lockscreen. It looks different, and finally brings a host of much needed features. Missed calls and new messages are easily accessible from it, even giving you the option to long click to enter the Dialer or the Messaging applications. The lockscreen can also show you a music player widget if you are playing music, and a long press on the home button while locked will launch the flash light. The fact that all of these are accessible without even unlocking your phone is a major benefit.
Default lockscreen and another one showing the music player controls
Themes and Customization
If you have tried CyanogenMod and thought that it was customizable, think again. MIUI brings the concept of themes to a whole new level. You can browse and download from a great collection of themes that change the look of everything on the device: lockscreen and homescreen with their wallpapers, icons, status bar, fonts, messaging application, dialer and contacts, boot animation, and even sounds such as the boot audio, ringtones, notifications and alarms.
MIUI online themes downloads and customizable theme elements
Better Dialer and Contacts
We tend to often forget it: our Android smartphones are still “phones” underneath all the shine, and the calling feature is quite important. MIUI brings a T9 predictive dialer, which stock Android unbelievably still lacks, with an integrated call log. The Contacts application is also revamped, looking much cleaner, with multiple lines support for email and web addresses, so they don’t look truncated like on stock Android.
It even integrates the call log, and for the first time on an Android ROM, you can actually add a person to a group and manage your groups with them synchronizing back to Google Contacts (correct me if I’m wrong, but there is no way to do that in the stock Android ROM).
MIUI Dialer and contact editing showing support for adding groups
Great Music Player
Another improved application on MIUI is the Music Player. As a matter of fact, it is so awesome, it exists as a separate application for other ROMs . And what makes it so special, I hear you ask? Aside from the gorgeous UI, it can automatically download album art and lyrics for all of your songs. The fascinating part though is that it can play these lyrics, like a karaoke machine, in sync with the music, in the player itself and in its homescreen widget. Sweetness!
MIUI Music Player main screen and widget with lyrics
Built-in Screenshots
While stock Android users have to wait until Ice Cream Sandwich to get built-in screenshot ability, MIUI has had it for quite a while. Press the Menu button and volume down at the same time, and – ta-da – a screenshot is taken and saved to your SD card. Useful for when you want to brag about your latest homescreen setup or show a friend a cool new application or game.
Integrated Task Management
MIUI offers a couple of ways to manage your background applications. First, when leaving an application, you can long-press on the Back button to totally quit it and not just leave it in the background. Second, when you long-press the Menu key to view your most recent 12 applications, MIUI shows a highlight around those that are still running and gives you an App Killer option to terminate all background processes and free some RAM.
Data Monitor and Firewall
This is also one of the promised features of Ice Cream Sandwich, but if you don’t want to wait for it, you can already get it in MIUI. It has an integrated monitor for your data, WiFi, calls and messages usage, with the option to set a notification when you hit a certain percentage of your allowed Data plan. The firewall is another neat addition that helps you deny access to Data and/or WiFi on a per application basis. These two options bundled together are quite useful if you don’t have an unlimited data plan, since you can keep an eye on your usage, as well as limit certain applications to WiFi-only access, for example.
MIUI Data Monitor and Firewall
DND Mode
MIUI comes with a “Do Not Disturb” mode that allows you to block certain numbers from calling or messaging you. This helps you stay focused when you need to, or only allow access to you from your loved ones if you’re busy. It also saves you from installing third-party software to do this.
A Whole Lot More
