Here’s a detailed comparison of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max to help you decide which flagship suits you better.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max
Xiaomi 17 Ultra was launched globally on Saturday with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and a Leica-tuned 200-megapixel camera system. It arrives as Xiaomi's most premium flagship yet, packing a large battery and advanced display technology. Meanwhile, Apple introduced the iPhone 17 Pro Max in September 2025 with a redesigned unibody build, A19 Pro chip, and upgraded triple 48-megapixel camera system. Here is a comprehensive comparison of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the iPhone 17 Pro Max that breaks down their prices, specifications, and features to help you choose the better flagship for your needs.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at EUR 1,499 (roughly Rs. 1,61,264) for the 12GB + 512GB RAM and storage configuration. The company has yet to reveal its India pricing. It is sold in Black, White, Purple, and Starlit Green shades.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: In India, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is priced at Rs. 1,49,900 for the base variant. It is available in Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue, and Silver colour options.
In terms of pricing, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at a considerably lower price point than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra: The Xiaomi 17 Ultra sports a 6.9-inch 1.5K LTPO AMOLED panel that supports a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, peak brightness of up to 1,060 nits and Dragon Crystal Glass 3 protection. The handset has a thickness of 8.29mm and weighs approximately 224g. It is also certified with IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR display that supports ProMotion technology with refresh rates up to 120Hz and delivers up to 3,000 nits of peak outdoor brightness. The panel is protected by Ceramic Shield 2 for enhanced scratch resistance. Apple has introduced an aluminium unibody design with a full-width rear camera plateau and integrated a vapour chamber cooling system to improve sustained performance.
Both smartphones offer expansive 6.9-inch screens with 120Hz refresh rates. While the iPhone 17 Pro Max stands out with significantly higher peak brightness, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra distinguishes itself with multiple IP certifications and a comparatively slimmer build.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra: Powering the handset is Qualcomm's 3nm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor, coupled with an Adreno 840 GPU. It can be configured with up to 16GB of LPDDR5x Ultra RAM and as much as 1TB of UFS 4.1 onboard storage. The device houses a 6,800mAh battery that supports 90W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is powered by Apple's A19 Pro chip, which includes a six-core CPU and a six-core GPU with dedicated neural accelerators. It ships with iOS 26 pre-installed. Apple highlights improved power efficiency and states that the Pro Max delivers the longest battery life ever on an iPhone. The device supports high-wattage USB-C charging and can charge up to 50 percent in about 20 minutes.
In comparison, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a much larger battery and higher charging speeds, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max emphasises efficiency and seamless performance through tight hardware and software integration.
Xiaomi 17 Ultra: The smartphone comes equipped with a Leica-branded triple rear camera system, led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor with a 1-inch sensor size and optical image stabilisation. It also includes a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens that offers 3.2x to 4.3x continuous optical zoom. The phone is capable of recording videos in up to 8K resolution. For selfies, it features a 50-megapixel front-facing camera.
iPhone 17 Pro Max: The iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with three 48-megapixel rear cameras, including a primary sensor, an ultrawide lens, and a telephoto shooter. The telephoto camera enables up to 8x optical zoom and up to 40x digital zoom. For selfies and video calls, the device features an 18-megapixel front camera with Centre Stage functionality.
Although the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers uniform 48-megapixel sensors across its rear setup along with capable zoom performance, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra differentiates itself with a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens and a larger 1-inch main sensor.
1. How much does the Xiaomi 17 Ultra cost in India?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra starts at CNY 6,999 (roughly Rs. 90,000), though official India pricing has not been announced.
2. What is the price of the iPhone 17 Pro Max in India?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is priced at Rs. 1,49,900 in India.
3. Which phone has a bigger battery?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra packs a 6,800mAh battery, while Apple has not disclosed the exact battery capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
4. Which smartphone offers faster charging?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra supports 90W wired and 50W wireless charging, whereas the iPhone 17 Pro Max supports fast USB-C charging up to 50 percent in 20 minutes.
5. Which device has a higher resolution telephoto camera?
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra features a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera, compared to the 48-megapixel telephoto lens on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
| Display | |||
| 6.90-inch | 6.90-inch | ||
| Processor | |||
| Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Apple A19 Pro | ||
| Front Camera | |||
| 50-megapixel | 18-megapixel | ||
| Rear Camera | |||
| 50-megapixel + 200-megapixel + 50-megapixel | 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 48-megapixel | ||
| RAM | |||
| 12GB | 12GB | ||
| Storage | |||
| 512GB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB | ||
| Battery Capacity | |||
| 6,800mAh | - | ||
| OS | |||
| Android 16 | iOS 26 | ||
| Resolution | |||
| - | 1320x2868 pixels | ||
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