Media365
Apple’s long-standing position as a premium smartphone brand is facing new challenges as Chinese brands double down on innovation in their high-end phones. Xiaomi’s latest 15 Ultra comes across as competition to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, bringing top-notch cameras, Qualcomm’s latest processor, and AI support. But which one is better? While the answer to that question lies in a customer’s ecosystem preference, the quick comparison between their specifications can offer some clarity and help buyers decide.
Display: The iPhone 16 Pro Max boasts a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with an adaptive refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz, Dolby Vision and HDR10 support, and a peak brightness of 2000 nits. The display uses Ceramic Shield Glass (2024 Gen) for protection. On the other hand, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a 6.73-inch AMOLED display with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz, support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HDR Vivid, and a 3200-nit peak brightness. The Xiaomi 15 Ultra has the company’s Xiaomi Shield Glass 2.0 on top for protection.
Processor: Apple’s top-end iPhone 16 Pro Max is powered by the company’s A18 Pro chip, featuring six cores and 8GB RAM support. The iPhone 16 Pro Max offers storage of up to 1TB. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra rocks Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, paired with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage.
Cameras: The iPhone 16 Pro Max packs a 48MP wide camera with sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS) and dual-pixel PDAF on its rear system, which also has a 12MP periscope telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and a 48MP ultrawide camera. On the other hand, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a 50MP main camera with PDAF and OIS, a 50MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, a 200MP periscope telephoto camera with 4.3x optical zoom, and a 50MP ultrawide camera. Both smartphones also have a TOF camera for mapping depths. While the iPhone 16 Pro Max uses a 12MP front camera, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra has a 32MP sensor for selfies and video calls.
Battery: Apple has equipped the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a 4685mAh battery with fast charging support for wired and wireless mechanisms. Meanwhile, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra packs a 5410mAh battery with 90W wired and 80W wireless charging.
Apple’s high-end iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at ₹1,44,900, while the Xiaomi 15 Ultra is priced starting at ₹1,09,999.
