The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is quite obviously inspired by Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max – so what is the difference between the two?
While Xiaomi closely matches Apple’s new Pro design, it differentiates itself in key areas, featuring a unique rear screen, a larger battery with faster charging, and Leica-branded optics.
That said, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max is arguably the biggest update in quite some time, sporting a new design, boosted camera tech and the longest battery life of any iPhone, so it’s not a clear-cut decision between the two.
With the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max being China-only for now, here’s how the two new flagships compare on paper.
Pricing and availability
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is readily available to buy now following its release on 19 September, starting at £1,199/$1,199 for the 256GB model.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, on the other hand, is China-only for now. It costs CNY 5,999 locally, around $840 converted, but it’ll likely cost a lot more once it gets its global release – likely in early 2026, going by Xiaomi’s previous flagship release schedule.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max has a rear screen
The two phones might look very similar, but Xiaomi has upped the Apple competition by including a secondary screen on its rear camera bump.
Xiaomi’s ‘Dynamic Back Display’ is a 2.9-inch 120Hz OLED screen that sits beside the rear lenses, and can primarily be used as a viewfinder for taking selfies with the (better quality) rear lenses – but there’s more to it than that. Per the company, it’ll also feature a range of widgets, music controls, notifications, calls and more.
There’s even an official Gameboy-inspired controller case that’ll let you play retro titles on the rear screen, if that’s your kind of thing. It’s not included in the box, however, and whether it’ll be released more widely is yet to be confirmed.
It’s an important differentiating factor between the two, as the main screens on the front are relatively similar.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch OLED screen with an LTPO-enabled 120Hz refresh rate and 3000 nit peak brightness, while Xiaomi’s alternative boasts a 6.9-inch AMOLED panel with the same LTPO-powered 120Hz refresh rate, albeit with slightly higher peak brightness at 3500 nits.
Slight differences in camera tech
Whether you opt for Xiaomi or Apple’s Pro Max model, you’ll be treated with a trio of high-res, high-end lenses. In many regards, the two are on par with one another – both offer main, ultrawide and periscope lenses – but look a little closer and there are a few key differences.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max features a Leica-tuned triple 50MP array with a 1/1.28-inch OIS-enabled primary sensor, along with a 102-degree 1/2.76-inch ultrawide and a 1/2.0-inch 5x periscope lens.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a triple 48MP camera system, with a similarly equipped 1/1.28-inch primary sensor, although it utilises Apple’s own sensor-shift OIS system for improved stabilisation. There’s also a wider 120-degree 1/2.55-inch ultrawide, and a 1/2.55-inch 4x periscope lens – although it can capture up to 8x at optical quality, according to Apple.
Based on our experience with other Xiaomi and Apple flagships, Xiaomi will likely win out on sheer optical reach with its periscope lens, and the Leica filters help add an artistic quality to shots. Apple, however, tends to offer better out-of-camera video capture, along with much better colour consistency across its rear lenses.
That said, we’ll see how the two truly compare once we go hands-on, so stay tuned.
Apple A19 Pro or Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
Both flagship phones feature the latest and greatest in chipset technology: the Apple A19 Pro and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
The A19 Pro within Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max features a redesigned vapour chamber for improved sustained performance – Apple claims a boost of up to 40% compared to the previous-generation iPhone – along with iOS-level optimisations to deliver a notable improvement.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is similarly at the top of its game; last year’s 8 Elite closed the gap massively between it and Apple’s equivalent iPhone chipset for the first time. With gains in the region of 20-25% across the board in the Gen 5, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how it performs in benchmarks.
If it’s anything like last year, Apple will likely lead in single-core performance, where Qualcomm’s chipset will likely excel when it comes to multi-core and GPU grunt – but we’ll report back once we’ve benchmarked the chipsets.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max has a bigger battery – in China
Apple claims that the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers the longest battery life of any iPhone to date, with its 4832mAh cell offering up to 39 hours of video playback – and if you opt for an eSIM-only model, that jumps to 5088mAh and 41 hours.
That’s a pretty solid offering, but Xiaomi’s 17 Pro Max blows it – and practically every other phone around – out of the water with a whopping 7,500mAh alternative. That should last for significantly longer than Apple’s alternative, but we can’t say for sure right now.
However, it’s worth noting that, with EU restrictions on battery sizes within phones, it likely won’t feature the same mammoth battery once it gets its wider release in 2026. The same happened with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra; the China-only model featured a 6000mAh cell, while the global alternative offered 5410mAh.
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max offers much faster 100W charging than Apple’s 45W alternative, though you’ll need a Xiaomi-branded charger to reach those speeds – and those don’t ship in the box outside of China.
iOS 26 or HyperOS 3
The biggest difference between the two smartphones is their underlying operating systems; Apple’s iPhone runs iOS 26, while Xiaomi’s alternative runs HyperOS 3 based on Android 16.
Apple calls iOS 26 its most significant redesign in years, and it’s largely down to its new Liquid Glass UI. As the name suggests, the operating system now features a glassy look with real-world refractions, giving it a high-end finish.
Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3, based on Android 16, offers better customisation, along with improved multitasking capabilities and expanded support for its broader ecosystem of phones, tablets and smart home tech.
This alone will probably be the deciding factor between which to choose; if you’re an iPhone user, you’ll likely stick with iOS, while Android fans will likely go with the Android-based Xiaomi.
Early thoughts
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, though very much copying Apple’s modus operandi, takes the formula and cranks it up a notch with elements like a rear screen and a frankly massive battery that could make it a tempting Android-based alternative to Apple’s top-end iPhone.
That said, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is still very much a top-end smartphone, matching the Xiaomi alternative in key areas like display tech, cameras and performance while offering a genuinely refreshed version of iOS for Apple fans to enjoy.
We’ll update this comparison once the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max gets a wider release and we’ve spent some time with both smartphones.
