Xiaomi announced its new flagship smartphone at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. In this article, we’ll compare that smartphone to the very best phone Apple has to offer. In other words, we’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra. These two smartphones are very different in so many ways, and yet they’re both compelling if you’re considering flagship smartphones.
The moment you lay your eyes on both phones, you’ll notice a ton of differences. We’ll delve deeper into all that in this article and compare them across a number of categories. First and foremost, though, we’ll list the specifications of both smartphones. With that being said, let’s get to it, shall we?
Specs
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra, respectively
– Screen size:
6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display (flat, 120Hz, HDR, 2,000 nits)
6.73-inch LTPO AMOLED (flat, adaptive 120Hz, 3,200 nits max brightness)
– Display resolution:
2868 x 1320
3200 x 1440
– SoC:
Apple A18 Pro (3nm)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
– RAM:
8GB
16GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe)
512GB/1TB (UFS 4.1)
– Rear cameras:
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).
50MP (f/1.6 aperture, 23mm lens, 1-inch sensor size, 1.6um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS), 50MP (ultrawide (f/2.2 aperture, 115-degree FoV, 1/2.76-inch sensor size, 14mm lens, 0.64um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF), 50MP (telephoto, 1/2.51-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom. 0.7um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, macro 10cm, OIS), 200MP (periscope telephoto, 1/2.76-inch sensor size, f/2.2 aperture 14mm lens, 115-degree FoV, 0.64um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF)
– Front cameras:
12MP (f/1.9 aperture, PDAF, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, OIS)
32MP (f/2.0 aperture, 21mm lens, 1/3.14-inch sensor size, 0.7um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,685mAh
5,410mAh
– Charging:
38W wired, 25W MagSafe, 15W Qi2 wireless, 7.5W Qi wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included)
100W wired, 80W wireless, 10W reverse wireless (charger included)
– Dimensions:
163 x 77.6 x 8.3 mm
161.3 x 75.3 x 9.4 mm
– Weight:
227 grams
226/229 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3/6.0
– Security:
Face ID (3D facial scanning)
In-display fingerprint scanner (ultrasonic) & facial scanning
– OS:
iOS 18
Android 15 with HyperOS 2
– Price:
$1,199+
€1,499
– Buy:
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Best Buy)
Xiaomi 15 Ultra (Amazon)
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Design
Both of these smartphones are made out of metal and glass, though the Xiaomi 15 Ultra also comes in a variant with vegan leather on the back. Apple opted to use a titanium frame for this phone, though aluminum is also included. Xiaomi’s flagship uses aluminum for its frame. Both smartphones have a flat frame all around, though the design is a bit different. The iPhone 16 Pro Max also has a flat backplate, and its front side is also completely flat. The same cannot be said for the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Both its front and back sides are slightly rounded on all sides. That does help with in-hand comfort a bit.
You’ll notice that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a pill-shaped camera cutout at the top. It’s the so-called Dynamic Island. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra includes a small display camera hole, which is also centered. The bezels are very thin on both smartphones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a power/lock button on the right, along with the Camera Control key. On the left, its volume up and down buttons sit, along with an Action Button. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has only its standard power/lock and volume rocker buttons, and they’re all on the right-hand side.
If we flip them around, you’ll notice considerably different-looking backplates. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a rectangular camera island in the top-left corner. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra includes a large camera oreo, which is centered in the upper portion of the phone’s backplate. Both smartphones are IP68-certified for water and dust resistance. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a bit taller, wider, and thinner in comparison. They’re almost identical in terms of weight, though, the difference is 1-2 grams, depending on the model.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Display
The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch 2868 x 1320 LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel is flat, and it supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 is supported too, as is Dolby Vision. The peak brightness this display offers is 2,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is at around 91%, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. This display is protected by the Ceramic Shield Glass.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, on the flip side, features a 6.73-inch 3200 x 1440 LTPO AMOLED display. That display offers an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz), and it supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ content. The same goes for HDR Vivid. The peak brightness here is 3,200 nits, in theory, while the screen-to-body ratio is at around 90%. On the other hand, the display aspect ratio is 20:9. The Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 protects this panel.
Both of these displays are quite vivid, and they’re also more than sharp enough. Yes, the viewing angles are good on both, and so is the touch response. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra’s display does technically get brighter, but both get bright enough, to be quite honest. The blacks are as deep as you’d expect them to be, while the Xiaomi 15 Ultra also offers high-frequency PWM dimming, unlike the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Performance
Apple’s flagship is fueled by the Apple A18 Pro processor. That is Apple’s 3nm chip, one of the most powerful on the market. That chip is backed by 8GB of RAM, and NVMe flash storage. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. That is Qualcomm’s 3nm chip, and also one of the most powerful out there. Both of these chips are among top 3 mobile processors in the market at the moment. Xiaomi’s handset comes with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 flash storage.
Both of these smartphones deliver in the performance department, with ease. In day-to-day use, they’re very snappy, and quite frankly, you won’t have issues with either of them. Lag is simply not a part of the equation here, and chances are that will be the case for years to come. Xiaomi does technically has more RAM and faster storage, but both feel very snappy, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Even if you’re into gaming, both of these phones deliver great performance. Even the highest-end games run perfectly fine on both smartphones. We did not get to test the Xiaomi 15 Ultra fully just yet, but from what we’ve seen, the phone can run games with ease, just like the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Both do get quite warm after a while, though. That’s perfectly normal, however.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Battery
Apple included a 4,685mAh battery inside the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It’s a Li-Ion battery. Xiaomi opted for a 5,410mAh silicon-carbon battery in its global model, while the Chinese model has a 6,000mAh silicon-carbon unit. Apple’s handsets usually have smaller battery packs than their Android counterparts, mainly due to the fact iOS handles things. So don’t let that be a deciding factor here.
In fact, the iPhone 16 Pro Max offers outstanding battery life. This phone will be a multi-day phone for most people, actually. You can get truly high screen-on times, and it’s one of the best battery life smartphones amongst flagship devices. We did not fully test the Xiaomi 15 Ultra at this point, but from what we’ve seen, it can compete with the iPhone 16 Pro Max in the battery life department. Both of these phones are supposed to be battery machines. Keep in mind that your mileage may vary, though, of course.
When it comes to charging, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra obliterates the iPhone 16 Pro Max, in every way, basically. It supports 90W wired, 80W wireless, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The iPhone 16 Pro Max comes with 38W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 15W Qi2 wireless, and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Xiaomi’s handset also comes with a charger in the box, at least its European variant does, while the same cannot be said for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 15 Ultra: Cameras
The iPhone 16 Pro Max has three cameras on the back. A 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size) is backed by a 48-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.55-inch sensor size), and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/3.06-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom). A ToF 3D LiDAR scanner is also included here.
The Xiaomi 15 Ultra, on the flip side, has four cameras on the back. A 50-megapixel main camera (1-inch sensor size) is backed by a 50-megapixel ultrawide unit (1/2.76-inch sensor size, 115-degree FoV). A 50-megapixel telephoto camera (1/2.51-inch sensor size, 3x optical zoom, macro) sits on the back too, as does a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/1.4-inch sensor size, 4.3x optical zoom). These cameras are also boosted by Leica.
With that being said, the two phones provide considerably different images. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra does offer more details overall, more of then than not, while it has a considerably more competent high-zoom cameras. It’s a toss-up when it comes to ultrawide snappers. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra provides more contrasty images and is not afraid of keeping the shadows darker while retaining details. The iPhone 16 Pro Max has a tendency to turn up the brightness in such scenarios. It also leans more towards the warmer color temperature.
Audio
Both of these smartphones have stereo speakers, and in both cases, they’re more than loud enough. The loudness is quite similar, as is the sound output quality, even though the output is different.
Neither phone offers an audio jack, but you can use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections. Alternatively, the iPhone 16 Pro Max supports Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless connectivity, while the Xiaomi 15 Ultra comes with Bluetooth 5.0.
2025-03-12 15:04:27