[Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 [Mediatek] ROMs, Kernels, Reco] CosmicDan:
Xposed is horrible, I've had enough of it and had enough of unstable buggy AOSP forks and that's why I moved back to MIUI. Many modules are closed source or very bloated - I want two or three features and things like GravityBox hook like a hundred framework methods even though they do nothing. There is significant overhead of Xposed literally intercepting every invocation. Don't even get me started on the stability and security issues of Xposed.

I know MIUI too is closed source, but at least we have guys like Xiaomi.eu who are cleaning up that trash. And I'm working on a project powered by DexPatcher that will expand on that ideal, making Xposed modules finally obsolete and not f***ing around with the core services like Xposed does, not that you'd care about that because you can't be a hyperactive modder with this "set and forget" alternative.

You need to install all those modules, but with MIUI I don't NEED those modules because so much is already stock lol. MIUI is just so much nicer to use, I'm one of those people who actually has a life outside Android hacking - being an IT professional demands a productive device and MIUI provides that. With AOSP I have to install so many market apps to get the same functionality.

AOSP forks, ugh. They would just randomly break or start to get battery issues. They make MIUI weekly regressions look like typos. I had enough.

How is getting a Xiaomi phone just for Xiaomi's own aftermarket firmware a mistake? "Continuous development of new software"? But I want MIUI, and the best and fastest way to get MIUI is by an official device. Are you trying to say that some Indian dude using PatchROM who can't even type English properly is a more reliable source than a company who actually makes money off their product? You don't even make sense.

MIUI are actually innovating and adding new features, and they actually listen to their fans and take votes on features. AOSP forks are all bro clubs who do what THEY think is best. Cyanogen tried to take that mindset commercially and look how successful they were lol.

Maybe you're too young to remember but MIUI started as a custom firmware, just like CyanogenMod and all the rest. Now they're the biggest smartphone ODM in China and a massive financial success. Is it so hard to admit that everything you feel about them is just an opinion?

You claimed that AOSP is "more of an experience" than MIUI, and that the device is "held-back" by MIUI which I consider as plain wrong. It's fine if you prefer the lean and light AOSP, but you're implying that it has more features and capability than MIUI which is absolutely false. It has more POTENTIAL, sure, with Xposed and other crap tweaks and mods that most people don't care about, but once you do that the stability and performance advantage of AOSP is severely diminished. Also you get no SafetyNet with Xposed whatsoever.

What do you mean by hotlaps? You must mean benchmarks because I really don't notice any speed difference on my AOSP Cherry Trail tablet with multitasking and UI responsiveness. You may have faster benchmarks on your AOSP, but what is the point of all that speed when the most advanced stock capability it has is a calculator? Meanwhile, I have my full-blown Deny-All/Allow-some Firewall in MIUI with active notifications standard: you have to root and install clumsy iptables front ends to get that functionality. Which then needs to have new apps manually allowed instead of a prompt. I could go on, there are SO MANY things that MIUI just does already that AOSP/Xposed modules either does poorly or not at all.

You just sound like a blind Xiaomi hater. I have seen all the problems with Redmi Note 4x on AOSP. I have the low end 2GB MTK variant and I don't have any major complaints with "bloated" MIUI. It was pretty bad at first, yeah, but latest firmwares are great. Fast, good multitasking, good battery life. Can't say the same about all the crapware ROM's people are building for mido.

For that price I'm pretty sure you could of gotten an Android One device with far better ROM hacking support. Since all you seem to care about is screwing around with your phone and modding it, Xiaomi is like the worst choice. Everybody knows how bad they are at honouring the GPL. And guess what - people still buy their devices because they're *that good*.

Just accept the fact that people still love MIUI for some reasons and it is actually better in some ways that are more important to people. Trying to make up stories about how it's technically inferior to MIUI and implying that MIUI fans are all dumb just makes you look like a pretentious and antisocial jerk with insecurity issues.

Agree to disagree and move on. Just don't disrespect MIUI users in a Xiaomi device forum, that's no better than trolling.

I've been hacking and developing Android firmware for over ten years, I even worked for a Chinese ODM for a couple years co-designing firmware. I used to be like you, I got excited by custom firmwares and Xposed and all that. But now that I've grown up and got other things in life to worry about, I just want something that is flexible and works well - and MIUI fits that bill. So don't condescend us, little man - everybody is different and you're no "better" than us just because you're a purist.

I admit AOSP is generally faster and snappier, but MIUI does more (without breaking security hardening by installing Xposed). Plain and simple. Obviously MIUI's extras are not useful to you, so it's fine that you don't like it. That's all there is to it.