Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 17 Ultra
A spec-by-spec comparison of the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, taken from their full specification sheets. Green marks the better value in each measured row.
VS
Head to head
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9/10 | 9/10 |
| Battery | 5,567 mAh | 6,000 mAh |
| Wired charging | 25W | 90W |
| Storage (max) | 512 GB | 512 GB |
| Screen size | 6.9 in | 6.9 in |
| Refresh rate | — | 120 Hz |
| Main camera | 48 MP | 200 MP |
| Weight (lower is lighter) | 240 g | 219 g |
| Released | Sep 2026 | Dec 2025 |
Summary: Xiaomi 17 Ultra is ahead on battery, wired charging, main camera, weight (lower is lighter).
Display
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | LTPO+ Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion technology, Dolby Vision, Always-On display | LTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak) |
| Size | 6.9 inches | 6.9 inches |
| Resolution | 1320 x 2868 pixels (approx. 460 ppi density) | 1200 x 2608 pixels |
| Brightness | Up to 3000 nits peak HDR brightness | — |
| Pixel Density | — | 416 PPI |
| Protection | — | Not specified (likely Gorilla Glass equivalent) |
Platform
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS 27 | Android 16, HyperOS 3 (upgradable to Android 17) |
| Chipset | Apple A20 Pro (2nm process) | Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm) |
| CPU | Hexa-core | Octa-core (2x Prime Core up to 4.6GHz, 6x Performance Core up to 3.62GHz) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (6-core graphics) | Adreno™ GPU |
Memory
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB, 16GB (LPDDR5X) |
| Internal Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB (expected configurations) | — |
| Storage | — | 512GB, 1TB (UFS 4.1) |
| Card slot | — | No |
Main Camera
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Triple | 48 MP, (wide), variable aperture (rumored), dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; 48 MP, (ultrawide), dual pixel PDAF; 48 MP, (telephoto), 5x optical zoom, OIS, dual pixel PDAF | 50 MP, f/1.67, 1-inch sensor, OIS, LOFIC HDR (wide); 200 MP, f/2.39-f/2.96, periscope telephoto, 4.3x optical zoom, OIS; 50 MP, f/2.2, ultrawide, 14mm equivalent, 1/2.88" sensor |
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Leica optics, laser autofocus, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (4K@30fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K video recording |
Selfie Camera
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Single | 24 MP, (wide), PDAF | 50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm equivalent, 90° FOV |
| Features | HDR, Cinematic mode (4K@30fps) | HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps | 4K video recording |
Battery
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Ion 5567 mAh, non-removable | Si/C Li-Ion |
| Charging | Wired, PD3.2, 25W (advertised 50% in 30 min); 15W MagSafe wireless; 7.5W Qi wireless | 90W wired HyperCharge, 50W wireless HyperCharge, 22.5W wired reverse charging |
| Capacity | — | 6000 mAh |
Body
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | Not officially confirmed, but renders suggest a large form factor | 162.9 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | Approximately 240g | 218.4g (Black and White) / 219g (Starlit Green) / 223.4g (Leica Version) |
| Build | Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back, stainless steel frame | Glass front, glass back (or fiberglass), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual eSIM) | — |
| IP Rating | — | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) |
Comms
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, A2DP, LE | 5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, LHDC |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C (likely USB 3.2 Gen 2) | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| Infrared port | — | Yes |
| Satellite Communication | — | Yes |
Launch
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max | Xiaomi 17 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | September 9, 2026 | December 25, 2025 |
| Status | Available September 18, 2026 | Released December 27, 2025 (China), March 6, 2026 (Global Leica Leitzphone) |
Frequently asked questions
Which has the better battery, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Xiaomi 17 Ultra — 5,567 mAh for the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max versus 6,000 mAh for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Which is lighter, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Xiaomi 17 Ultra — 240 g for the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max versus 219 g for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Which is newer, Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max or Xiaomi 17 Ultra?
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max — Sep 2026 for the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max versus Dec 2025 for the Xiaomi 17 Ultra.
Is the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max or the Xiaomi 17 Ultra rated higher?
We rate the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max 9/10 and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra 9/10.