Both Xiaomi and Apple launched very compelling flagship smartphones this year. In this article, we’ll compare the two. It’s the comparison between the Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max. These two phones are actually quite different in every way. Their internals are far different, and so are their designs. They are both large-format smartphones, though, and do have some things in common.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra arrived back in February this year, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max followed in December. Both phones are available globally, and both of them are actually quite pricey. Comparing them makes all the sense in the world. We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to a number of other categories, including design, display, performance, battery, cameras, and audio.

Specs

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, respectively

– Screen size:
6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED display (curved, adaptive 120Hz, 3,000 nits max brightness)
6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED ( flat, 120Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits)
– Display resolution:
3200 x 1440
2868 x 1320
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Apple A18 Pro (3nm)
– RAM:
16GB (LPDDR5X)
12GB/16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
512GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.6-f/4.0 variable aperture, OIS, multi-directional PDAF, 1.6um pixel size), 50MP (ultrawide, f/1.8 aperture, 122-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF), 50MP (telephoto, f/1.8 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom), 50MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.5 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom)
48MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS), 48MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF), 12MP (periscope telephoto, f/2.8 aperture, 1/3.06-inch sensor, 1.12um pixel size, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 5x optical zoom).
– Front cameras:
32MP (wide, f/2.0 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, OIS)
– Battery:
5,000mAh
4,685mAh
– Charging:
90W wired, 80W wireless,, 10W reverse wireless (charger included)
38W wired, 25W MagSafe, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
– Dimensions:
161.4 x 75.3 x 9.2mm
163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm
– Weight:
219.8 grams
227 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.4/5.3
– Security:
In-display fingerprint scanner & facial scanning
Face ID (3D facial scanning)
– OS:
Android 14 with HyperOS
iOS 18
– Price:
€1,499
$1,199+
– Buy:
Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Amazon)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Apple)

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Design

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is made out of aluminum and glass. The thing is, there is a vegan leather model out there too, but only in China. There is also a variant with a titanium frame, but only in China. The iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the other hand, is made out of titanium and glass. There is only one variant in terms of build materials. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is slightly taller, wider, and thinner than the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. It’s heavier than the global variant of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, but lighter than one of the models of Xiaomi’s flagship, it all depends. Both phones are set between 220 and 230 grams, though, so they’re not particularly light.

You’ll find flat sides on both of these phones, though the implementation is a bit different. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s back side is not completely flat, unlike what the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers. A flat display is included on both phones, though, along with thin bezels. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has a display camera hole at the top of its display, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max includes a pill-shaped cutout known as Dynamic Island.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has its power/lock and volume rocker buttons on the right-hand side. Those are the only buttons included on the phone. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has two more. It includes its power/lock button on the right side, along with the Camera Control key. On the left, you’ll find the volume up and down buttons, and the Action Button. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra also has an IR blaster at the top.

You’ll notice a big camera oreo on the back of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. Four cameras sit in there, and that camera island does protrude quite a bit on the back. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a much smaller camera island in the top-left corner of its back. Three cameras sit on the inside. Both smartphones are IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. They’re both quite slippery too, though the vegan leather model of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra does add more grip.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Display

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra features a 6.73-inch 3200 x 1440 LTPO AMOLED display. That panel is flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. It also supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content. The peak brightness here is 3,000 nits, in theory, and the screen-to-body ratio is at around 89%. The display aspect ratio is 20:9, while the Xiaomi Shield Glass protects this display.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 6.9-inch 2868 x 1320 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. This display is also flat, and it offers an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. HDR10 content is supported, as is HDR10 content, while the peak brightness is at 2,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio sits at around 91%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The Ceramic Shield glass protects this display.

Both of these displays are great. They’re both sharp, vivid, and have great viewing angles. They also get more than bright enough and have those inky blacks that people love. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s panel does get a bit brighter when needed. It also supports high-frequency PWM dimming, unlike the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s panel. Both displays do offer really good touch response, though. You’ll likely be more than happy with either one of these two panels.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Performance

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, a 4nm chip. That is still Qualcomm’s best chip, even though its successor is coming later this month. That chip is backed with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is fueled by the Apple A18 Pro processor, which is a 3nm chip. That processor is backed by 8GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage. Neither phone supports storage expansion, by the way.

Both of these processors are immensely powerful, as are both phones in general. In day-to-day use, no matter what you use them for, both smartphones deliver outstanding performance. They’re very snappy in every way, handling browsing, image editing, multimedia consumption, and everything else is not a problem. Getting both phones to stutter is not an easy task, actually.

The same can be said for gaming. They can play simpler games without a problem, and the same goes for semi-demanding and truly graphically-demanding games. Both of these phones can handle even the most demanding games on their respective app stores without a problem. They both get warm, but not too warm nor does that affect their gaming performance. Genshin Impact, for example, is not a problem for either phone.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Battery

A 5,000mAh battery sits inside the global Xiaomi 14 Ultra model. The Chinese variant does include a 5,300mAh unit, but that’s not the one we used. The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 4,685mAh battery. Apple’s iPhones always have smaller battery packs than their Android counterparts, mainly due to the differences in how iOS and Android function. That doesn’t have to mean that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has worse battery life. And in this case, it does not.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has great battery life in its own right, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max shades it in that regard. Both smartphones can go up to 7 hours of screen-on-time, and then some. The iPhone 16 Pro Max always has more battery juice left at that point, quite a bit more. We were able to push it way past that point. In all honesty, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra can also go higher than that, but it cannot keep up with the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Do note that we gaming does affect battery life quite a bit, as do other demanding tasks. Even when we did play games during the day, both of these phones were able to go the distance. Their battery life is so good that even demanding users will be pleased, though your mileage may vary, of course.

When it comes to charging, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra shames the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It supports 90W wired, 80W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 16 Pro Max supports 38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. The thing is, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra also comes with a charger, unlike the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max: Cameras

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra has four 50-megapixel cameras on the back. Its main 50-megapixel camera includes a 1-inch type sensor and variable aperture. A 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (122-degree FoV) is also included, as is a 50-megapixel telephoto camera (3.2x optical zoom). The last camera on the back is a 50-megapixel periscope telephoto unit (5x optical zoom). All those cameras use Leica lenses.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max, on the flip side, has a 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor), a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit, and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (5x optical zoom). The thing is, all three cameras on the back of the iPhone 16 Pro Max have smaller sensors than their counterparts on the Xiaomi 14 Ultra. On top of that, the iPhone 16 Pro Max does not offer variable aperture.

Both smartphones are very capable in the camera department, though. They do offer considerably different results. The Xiaomi 14 Ultra shoots more contrasty shots that are closer to real life. The iPhone 16 Pro Max does love to use warmer color tones in images, and the images do look more processed in comparison. It’s all a matter of preference. We personally preferred shots from the Xiaomi 14 Ultra most of the time, and that is especially true for low light.

The Xiaomi 14 Ultra does do a better job with telephoto shots, especially those up to 5x. Their ultrawide cameras are about on par when it comes to performance. Both smartphones are very capable when it comes to macro photography, though we did prefer such photos from the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple’s flagship still has the upper hand in the video department.

Audio

Both of these smartphones include stereo speakers. Those speakers on both are more than loud enough, though the ones on the iPhone 16 Pro Max seem to be a bit louder. That’s not something everyone will notice, though. The sound quality is good from both phones.

Neither smartphone includes an audio jack, however. You can still use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections, though. Alternatively, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra offers Bluetooth 5.4, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max supports Bluetooth 5.3.