Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 3 of 5. Buy Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want longer battery life. Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra if you want better photos, the longest software support and to spend less.
The short answer
- CameraXiaomi 17 Ultra. Takes the better photos: camera score 10 out of 10, against 9.
- BatteryApple iPhone 18 Pro Max. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 9 out of 10, against 8. Its 5391 mAh battery is smaller, but it uses less power, and our score follows tested battery life.
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesXiaomi 17 Ultra. 6 years of updates promised.
- PriceXiaomi 17 Ultra. Costs 22% less.
Overall, Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 3 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,79,900 | ₹1,39,999 |
| Launched | 9 September 2026 | 11 March 2026 |
| Software now | iOS 27.0.1, launched with iOS 27 | HyperOS 3 (Android 17), launched with HyperOS 3 (Android 16) |
| Rating | 8.9/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Battery | The biggest iPhone battery yet; easily lasts a full day and more for most people. | Very good battery life, with fast 90W wired and 50W wireless charging. |
| Camera | Three 48MP cameras with a 4x zoom and a variable-aperture main camera; excellent video. | Large main sensor and a 200MP zoom camera with a real zoom ring give excellent photos. |
| Speed | Top-tier speed with improved cooling, so it stays smooth in long games. | Top-tier Snapdragon chip stays fast even under longer loads. |
| Catch | Heavy at 249g and expensive; the 1TB and 2TB versions cost a lot more. | Very expensive, and the camera app has so many modes it can feel overwhelming. |
| Updates | 5 years | 6 years |
Full specifications (tap to open)
Every spec side by side
| Spec | Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, 1000 nits typical, 1600 nits HBM, 3000 nits peak, Ceramic Shield 2 with anti-reflective coating | 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED, 1-120Hz, 3500 nits peak, Dolby Vision, Xiaomi Shield Glass 3.0 |
| Chipset | Apple A20 Pro (2nm) | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm) |
| CPU | 6-core: 2x performance @ 4.93GHz + 4x efficiency @ 2.64GHz | 2x Oryon V3 Phoenix L @ 4.6GHz + 6x Oryon V3 Phoenix M @ 3.62GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) | Apple 7-core GPU | Adreno 840 |
| AI chip (NPU) | Dual 16-core Neural Engine (TOPS not officially stated) | Qualcomm Hexagon NPU (TOPS not officially stated) |
| RAM and storage | 12GB RAM, 256GB (NVMe storage; RAM type not officially stated) | 16GB RAM, 512GB (UFS 4.1, LPDDR5X) |
| Battery | 5391 mAh | 6000 mAh |
| Charging | Wired USB-C PD 3.2 (50% in about 15 min), 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless (50% in 30 min), 4.5W reverse wired | 90W wired, 50W wireless, 22.5W reverse wired, 10W reverse wireless |
| Cameras | 48MP Fusion main (f/1.5-4.0 variable aperture, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP 4x periscope telephoto (f/2.8, 100mm) + 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 13mm, 120 degrees) + LiDAR; 18MP front | 50 MP 1-inch type LOFIC main (f/1.7, 23mm, OIS) + 200 MP periscope telephoto (1/1.4", f/2.4-3.0, 75-100mm, 3.2-4.3x continuous optical zoom, OIS) + 50 MP ultrawide (1/2.76", f/2.2, 14mm); Leica lenses; 50 MP selfie with AF |
| Water and dust | IP68 | IP68/IP69 |
| Size and weight | 8.8mm thick, 249g | 8.3mm thick, 218.4g |
| Software | iOS 27 at launch, iOS 27.0.1 now | HyperOS 3 (Android 16) at launch, HyperOS 3 (Android 17) now |
| Updates | 5 years promised | 6 years promised |
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 (Apple N1 chip), Bluetooth 6.0, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort, UWB, satellite SOS and messaging | Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band), Bluetooth 6.0 (aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5), NFC, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 with DisplayPort |
| Modem | Apple C2 5G modem (per launch coverage) | Integrated Snapdragon 5G modem (model not officially stated) |
| Speakers and haptics | Stereo speakers; haptics not officially detailed | Loud, good-sounding stereo speakers, 24-bit/192kHz Hi-Res audio; haptics not detailed |
| Screen flicker (PWM) | Not officially stated | 2160Hz PWM, DC dimming; touch sampling not officially stated |
| Cooling | Redesigned vapor chamber with three times the surface area (Apple claim) | Not officially stated in sources read (GSMArena notes decent sustained performance) |
| Colours | Black, Silver, Glacier, Burgundy | Black, White |
Where to buy
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max₹1,79,900
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra₹1,39,999
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Waiting for a better price?See it here next time you open Tuvvo if any of these phones drops in price.
Common questions
- Which is better, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 3 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max if you want longer battery life. Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra if you want better photos, the longest software support and to spend less.
- Which has the better camera?
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra takes the better photos.
- Which has the better battery life?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max lasts longer on a charge.
- Which is faster for gaming?
- They are about even on speed.
- How much do they cost?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max costs ₹1,79,900, Xiaomi 17 Ultra costs ₹1,39,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max: 5 years, now on iOS 27.0.1. Xiaomi 17 Ultra: 6 years, now on HyperOS 3 (Android 17).