In the battle of the titans iPhone 16 Pro Max And Xiaomi 14 Ultra It stands out as top-notch flagship smartphones in 2024. Both devices push the boundaries in terms of design, performance, camera technology and battery life. But their different ecosystems, feature sets, and target audiences make them attractive in different ways.

This article provides a detailed comparison of the two phones in several key areas to determine which one might be better for you.

Design: premium materials and durability

Both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Xiaomi 14 Ultra have the highest build quality but approach design from different philosophies.

Features
iPhone 16 Pro Max is made with glass front and back panels made of Corning glass and surrounded by a titanium frame that increases durability and gives a premium feel. Offering IP68 dust and water resistance (up to 6 meters for 30 minutes), it provides protection in harsh environments. Xiaomi 14 Ultra, on the other hand, offers users the opportunity to choose between materials, using a glass or eco-leather back and a titanium or aluminum alloy frame. It also has an IP68 rating but can withstand immersion in water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes.

similarities
Both phones use premium materials like titanium, which increases their durability and resistance to damage. They also share the same IP68 rating, making them highly resistant to dust and water.

Differences
The most important difference in design is the choice of materials. While the iPhone offers a sleeker and more refined aesthetic with its all-glass design, Xiaomi offers the option of customization with glass or eco-leather. In terms of durability, the ceramic protective glass of the iPhone, especially the 2024 generation, is designed to provide excellent protection against drops and scratches. Xiaomi’s use of “Xiaomi Shield Glass” or “Longjing Glass” focuses on high durability but does not have the same industry recognition as Apple’s Ceramic Shield.

What’s better?
If you prioritize personalization and a more rugged, utilitarian aesthetic, you might like Xiaomi’s eco-leather option better. For those looking for a stylish, first-class and durable design, the iPhone 16 Pro Max takes the crown, especially with its improved glass protection.

Display, Media and Software: OLED Brightness and AMOLED Power

Features of iPhone 16 Pro Max
6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10, Dolby Vision support and 2000 nits maximum brightness. This delivers exceptional brightness and contrast, and the virtually bezel-less display achieves a 91.4% screen-to-body ratio. Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which is slightly smaller at 6.73 inches, has an LTPO AMOLED display that supports 68 billion colors, 120 Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision and HDR10 +. Its standout feature is a maximum brightness of 3,000 nits, making it one of the brightest displays in the industry.

Similarities.
Both displays use LTPO technology, which provides an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, balancing smoothness and battery efficiency. They also support Dolby Vision and HDR10+, providing an immersive multimedia experience with excellent contrast and color accuracy.

Differences
Although the iPhone’s screen is larger, Xiaomi offers a higher pixel density of 522 ppi (compared to the iPhone’s 460 ppi), giving it a slight advantage in terms of sharpness. Xiaomi also has a much higher peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it more suitable for outdoor viewing in direct sunlight compared to the iPhone’s 2,000 nits.

What’s better?
If consuming media in a bright environment is a priority, Xiaomi’s ultra-bright AMOLED display is hard to beat. But for those who value a larger screen with the color accuracy and smoothness Apple is known for, the iPhone 16 Pro Max remains the best choice.

Performance and battery: Apple’s A18 Pro vs Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

iPhone 16 Pro Max works
The advanced A18 Pro chipset, built on Apple’s 3nm architecture, offers a six-core processor and six-core GPU. This makes the iPhone powerful in terms of speed, efficiency and graphics performance. On the other hand, Xiaomi 14 Ultra uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset built on the 4nm process, with an eight-core processor and Adreno 750 GPU. Snapdragon chipset provides high performance in games, multitasking and artificial intelligence-supported applications.

As for the battery, the iPhone has a 4,685 mAh battery, while Xiaomi comes with a larger 5,000 mAh battery for the international model (5,300 mAh for China). Xiaomi has also taken the lead in charging technology with 90W wired charging and 80W wireless charging, well ahead of Apple’s 50% charging rate in 30 minutes with 25W wireless charging.

similarities
Both phones are designed for speed and efficiency, with high-end chipsets that support high-end gaming, multitasking, and advanced AI features.

Differences
Xiaomi’s battery is significantly larger and provides excellent longevity on a single charge. Additionally, its super-fast charging capabilities (90W wired and 80W wireless) make it more useful for users who prefer fast charging over the iPhone’s slower charging speeds.

What’s better?
In terms of raw performance, Apple’s A18 Pro arguably ranks ahead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in terms of efficiency and real-world app performance, especially thanks to iOS 18’s deep optimization. However, Xiaomi is a leader in battery life and fast charging. A better choice for users who want longer battery life and faster charging.

Cameras: Apple’s triple-lens and Xiaomi’s quad-lens Leica system

Features of iPhone 16 Pro Max
Three-lens system: 48 MP wide angle, 12 MP periscopic telephoto lens and 48 MP ultra-wide sensor. Apple’s sensors are designed to provide excellent low-light performance with features like sensor-shift OIS and 5x optical zoom. It also integrates a TOF 3D LiDAR scanner for depth sensing, making it a strong choice for AR and portrait shooting.

Xiaomi 14 Ultra, on the other hand, has four Leica-designed cameras, a 50 MP wide-angle sensor with variable aperture (f / 1.6 to f / 4.0), a 50 MP telephoto lens and a 50 MP periscope lens. With 5x optical zoom and 50 MP ultra-wide sensor. Leica lenses offer unparalleled versatility, especially with variable apertures that adapt to different lighting conditions.

similarities
Both phones offer cutting-edge camera systems with plenty of megapixels, optical zoom capabilities, and advanced stabilization technologies. Both can shoot in Dolby Vision HDR and offer ProRes recording (Apple) and 8K video recording (Xiaomi).

Differences
Xiaomi’s partnership with Leica offers greater pro-level versatility, including variable aperture and multiple 50 MP lenses for all camera types. Apple’s advantage is in software processing, where computational photography generally provides more consistent image quality across different scenarios.

What’s better?
The Leica Xiaomi 14 Ultra system stands out especially for users who want maximum camera flexibility and creativity with manual control. All that said, for those who prefer ease of use with consistently stunning results, the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s camera system is hard to beat, thanks to Apple’s advanced software optimization.

What’s better?

The decision between the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Xiaomi 14 Ultra ultimately comes down to personal preference.

• For Apple fans and those involved in the iOS ecosystemiPhone 16 Pro Max offers full integration with other Apple devices, excellent build quality, and a powerful yet easy-to-use camera system. Its display and overall performance, while not vastly superior to Xiaomi’s, are incredibly improved, making it an ideal choice for users looking for a great, great phone.
• For advanced users and photography enthusiasts Xiaomi 14 Ultra is a more versatile device. With superior camera flexibility, faster charging features, customizable materials and finishes, Xiaomi provides more bang for your buck, especially for those who want a more creative smartphone experience.

Finally,
Xiaomi 14 Ultra is ahead of iPhone 16 Pro Max At a pure price, it offers more features, a better camera system and much faster charging. But if you value Apple’s ecosystem, great software experience, and refined simplicity, the iPhone 16 Pro Max remains a great choice.