Logged into my banking app for it to tell my that my version of Android is outdated, leaving me vulnerable to attacks, and that I need to update my system. I see no updates and sure enough, the manufacturer just recently declared my phone EOL.
I could still log in to my banking app after dismissing the warning but how long is that going to last? Am I actually in danger of being hacked while browsing the Internet on my phone?
Do I really need to splurge on a new phone now? There's nothing wrong with this one. Fuck smartphones, honestly- sure, this shit also happens on PCs with Windows, but you usually get at least a decade of support. I've had this phone for less than five years, and at least with computers you could stick your preferred version of Linux on your outdated device to get more life out of it
It's also really cool how everyone in modern Western society is essentially dependent on one of two Yank megacorps to function, since you need an online bank account to verify your identity for basic shit like healthcare, social security and so on and those require either a Google Store or iPhone app
I've been pretty partial to Xiaomi phones since their first release but it's getting to that point in the market where low-mid spec phones do everything I need them to and the Chinese market and the performance of my domestic currency are at a point where it's not really worth my next phone being a Xiaomi.
For whatever it's worth, changing the OS on a Xiaomi is a headfuck by design. Also note that if you are avoiding Xiaomi that means you should also avoid Poco, which is part of the Xiaomi brand umbrella.