Apple iPhone 18 Pro vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 4 of 5. Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra if you want better photos, longer battery life, 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.
- BatteryXiaomi 17 Ultra. Lasts longer on a charge: battery score 8 out of 10, against 7. It has a 6000 mAh battery.
- SpeedIt's a tie
- UpdatesXiaomi 17 Ultra. 6 years of updates promised.
- PriceXiaomi 17 Ultra. Costs 15% less.
Overall, Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 4 of 5. The full details are below.
Side by side
| Spec | Apple iPhone 18 Pro | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ₹1,64,900 | ₹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 | 8.8/10 | 9.2/10 |
| Battery | Lasts a full day of heavy use and charges to half in about 15 minutes with a fast charger. | Very good battery life, with fast 90W wired and 50W wireless charging. |
| Camera | Three 48MP cameras including a 4x zoom, and a new main camera that can change its aperture for better control. | Large main sensor and a 200MP zoom camera with a real zoom ring give excellent photos. |
| Speed | One of the fastest phones you can buy, and it stays fast during long gaming sessions. | Top-tier Snapdragon chip stays fast even under longer loads. |
| Catch | It costs $100 (about ₹9,500) more than the iPhone 17 Pro and the camera upgrades are small; a bit heavy for its size. | 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 | Xiaomi 17 Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.3-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 (Apple claims up to 40% faster than A19 Pro) | 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 | 4056 mAh | 6000 mAh |
| Charging | Wired USB-C PD 3.2 (50% in about 15 min, wattage not officially stated), 25W MagSafe/Qi2 wireless, 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, sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP 4x periscope telephoto (f/2.8, 3D sensor-shift OIS) + 48MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 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, 211g | 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 (rated Good by GSMArena, -26.5 LUFS); 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 claims up to 40% better sustained performance | 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₹1,64,900
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra₹1,39,999
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Common questions
- Which is better, Apple iPhone 18 Pro or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra wins 4 of 5 areas (camera, battery, speed, updates and price). Buy Xiaomi 17 Ultra if you want better photos, longer battery life, 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?
- Xiaomi 17 Ultra 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 costs ₹1,64,900, Xiaomi 17 Ultra costs ₹1,39,999.
- Which gets software updates for longer?
- Apple iPhone 18 Pro: 5 years, now on iOS 27.0.1. Xiaomi 17 Ultra: 6 years, now on HyperOS 3 (Android 17).