Xiaomi apologizes over slowed Android updates due to coronavirus outbreak

Ben Schoon | Feb 27 2020 - 8:47 am PT

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus — officially known as COVID-19 — is wreaking havoc on the tech industry, and now, Xiaomi is warning that the virus’ impact could slow down Android updates.

Xiaomi’s brand lead in India, Sumit Sonal, confirmed on Twitter (via WinFuture) that at least one of the company’s major updates has been slowed considerably due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Xiaomi Mi A3 was due to receive the Android 10 update a bit earlier this month, but has missed that date by a couple of weeks now.

Sonal explains that the extended shutdown due to the coronavirus outbreak has slowed down Xiaomi’s ability to get this update out on time. In many cases, factories and offices in China have been shut down as a result of the virus outbreak in order to help employees stay healthy and avoid those who may be affected.

Customers are disappointed that the Android 10 update for Xiaomi Mi A3 — an Android One phone, notably — has been so delayed and, at this point, looks even further off. Sonal explains, though, that Xiaomi considers its employees “top priority” at this point. When will the update roll out? A date isn’t confirmed, but Xiaomi is apparently working toward “final certification” at this time.

While Sonal only directly confirms that the Xiaomi Mi A3 is affected in terms of Android updates, the coronavirus outbreak will likely slow updates for other devices too.