CyanogenMod isn’t the only custom version of Android that will soon incorporate Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich code. The MIUI team has also started working with Google’s latest open source operating system for phones and tablets.
The key difference is that CyanogenMod software basically looks like the stock Android experience, while MIUI includes a vastly redesigned user interface with a custom home screen launcher, and custom contact, calendar, and phone apps, among other things.
The goal for MIUI 4.0 is to use the Android application framework, but add the MIUI user interface on top. The team has posted some images showing what the new version will look like.
MIUI tends uses box-shaped icons for most apps, giving the software a bit of an iOS-like feel. But as you can see from the “recent apps” menu, MIUI 4.0 will use Android 4.0 features such as the ability to show a list of recently used applications over the top of whatever app you’re currently running — while using MIUI icons instead of standard Android thumbnails.
via reddit