Between the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Xiaomi 16 Ultra, the iPhone 17 Pro Max comes out ahead in screen size and weight, while the Xiaomi 16 Ultra wins on wired charging and wireless charging. Overall, the iPhone 17 Pro Max scores 67.5 and the Xiaomi 16 Ultra scores 74.3 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Xiaomi 16 Ultra edges ahead on the Mars Score (67.5 vs 74.3), but the 6.8-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the iPhone 17 Pro Max if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are screen size, weight, promised os updates.
Pick the Xiaomi 16 Ultra if you photograph or shoot video regularly and want the better imaging pipeline of the two. Its strongest claims are wired charging, wireless charging, front camera, among others.
Both ship with comparable refresh rate, 5g support, water resistance, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: the Xiaomi 16 Ultra is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max wins
- ▲Screen size — 2.53% more. 6.9 " vs 6.73 ".
- ▲Weight — 2.00 g less. 227 vs 229.
- ▲Promised OS updates: 6 (vs 5).
Why Xiaomi 16 Ultra wins
- ▲Wired charging — 233.33% more. 100 W vs 30 W.
- ▲Wireless charging — 220.00% more. 80 W vs 25 W.
- ▲Front camera — 166.67% more. 32 MP vs 12 MP.
- ▲AnTuTu — 40.48% more. 2950000 vs 2100000.
- ▲RAM — 33.33% more. 16 GB vs 12 GB.
- ▲Battery capacity — 28.07% more. 6000 mAh vs 4685 mAh.
- ▲Pixel density — 13.48% more. 522 ppi vs 460 ppi.
- ▲Main camera — 4.17% more. 50 MP vs 48 MP.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 227 glead | 229 g |
| Thickness | 8.3 mmlead | 9.2 mm |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 6.9 "lead | 6.73 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 522 ppilead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2200 nits | 3200 nitslead |
Performance
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 50 MPlead |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 32 MPlead |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 4685 mAh | 6000 mAhlead |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 30 W | 100 Wlead |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 25 W | 80 Wlead |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 17 Pro Max | Xiaomi 16 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOSlead | Android |
| Promised OS updates | 6 yearslead | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 17 Pro Max or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra has 28.1% more battery — 4685 mAh vs 6000 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 17 Pro Max or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max is 2g lighter — 227g vs 229g.
Is iPhone 17 Pro Max waterproof?+
iPhone 17 Pro Max has an IP68 rating.
Does Xiaomi 16 Ultra support 5G?+
Yes, Xiaomi 16 Ultra supports 5G.
Which has more RAM, iPhone 17 Pro Max or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra offers 16GB of RAM.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 17 Pro Max or Xiaomi 16 Ultra?+
Xiaomi 16 Ultra has a 50 MP main camera vs 48 MP.
Spec-level deep dives
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