Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: which should you buy

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: During the launch of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, Xiaomi made lots of references to the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max. So, how good is the Xiaomi 12S Ultra when compared to the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max? Is it better than the iPhone 13 Pro Max?

In this post, I’ll do a Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max specs comparison to see which is actually better. I’ll also highlight the similarities and differences between these two smartphones.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Specs

Specs	Xiaomi 12S Ultra	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Display	6.73-inch, 120Hz	6.7-inch, 120Hz
RAM	8/12GB	6GB
Storage	128/256/512GB	128/256/512GB
Back Camera	50 + 48 + 48 + TOF	12 + 12 + 12MP + TOF 3D
Front Camera	32MP	12MP + SL 3D
Chipset	Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1	A15 Bionic
Software	Android 12	Apple iOS 15
Battery	4,800mAh (67W)	4,352mAh (27W)
IP Rating	IP68	IP68

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Display, Build, and Design

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 6.73-inch AMOLED display while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. The display of both smartphones has an LTPO panel, support for a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision. The screen of these two phones can refresh between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on current use.

But, the screen of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is brighter than that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. This is because the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 1500 nit of peak brightness while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 1200 nit of peak brightness.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

The iPhone 13 Pro Max is made of Glass front (Gorilla Glass), glass back (Gorilla Glass), and stainless steel frame while the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is made of Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), eco-leather back, and aluminum frame. The iPhone 13 Pro Max also features Scratch-resistant ceramic glass and oleophobic coating.

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a punch-hole on the front screen with a slightly curved screen while the iPhone Pro Max has a big notch on the top with a flat-screen. On the rear, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a big circular camera module while the camera module of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is placed in the top left corner.

As for durability, both the iPhone 13 Pro Max and Xiaomi 12S Ultra are water and dustproof. These phones are rated IP68 water and dustproof which means you can use both phones underwater.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Camera

On the rear, the camera setup of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is 50.3MP + 48MP + 48MP + TOF and 32MP front camera. While the camera setup of the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is 12MP + 12MP + 12MP + TOF 3D and 12MP front camera with SL 3D for depth and biometrics sensor.

Camera	Xiaomi 12S Ultra	iPhone 13 Pro Max
Main	50.3MP	12MP
Periscope	48MP (5x zoom)	12MP (3x zoom)
Ultra-wide	48MP	12MP
Other	TOF 3D depth	TOF 3D depth
Front	32MP	12MP + SL 3D

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 50.3MP primary camera while the primary camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 12MP. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 48MP periscope lens while that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 12MP. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a 12MP Ultra-wide lens while the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 48MP ultra-wide lens. Both phones have a TOF 3D depth sensor. The front camera of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is 32MP while the front camera of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 12MP with an SL 3D.

The primary camera of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, and OIS features while that of the iPhone 12 Pro Max has dual-pixel PDAF and sensor-shift OIS. The telephoto lens of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra can do 5x optical zoom while that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max can do 3x optical zoom.

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra can shoot videos in 8K resolution and has video features such as HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS, Dolby Vision, and LEICA lenses. While the iPhone 13 Pro Max can shoot videos in 4K resolution and has video features such as 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode, stereo sound rec., and Dual-LED dual-tone flash.

Performance | Storage | RAM | 5G

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max are 5G smartphones. But both smartphones have different performances because they feature different chipsets.

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra features the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max features the Apple A15 Bionic. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip is built on TSMC 4nm process while the A15 Bionic chip is built on TSMC 5nm process tech.

The Cortex X2 CPU core of the Xiaomi 12S is 3.19GHz while the Avalanche CPU core of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 3.23GHz. The efficiency Cortex-A710 of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is 2.75GHz while the Blizzard efficiency core of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is 1.82GHz. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra features the Adreno 730 GPU while the iPhone 13 Pro Max features the Apple GPU (5-core graphics).

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra feature 8GB or 12GB of RAM while the iPhone 12 Pro Max is equipped with 6GB of RAM. The internal storage option of the iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at 128GB and goes all the way up to 1TB. While the internal storage of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra starts at 256GB and stops at 512GB. None of these phones have space for storage expansion via a microSD card slot.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Software

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra boots MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. Xiaomi has promised three years of major software updates and security patches for this phone. While the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max boots Apple iOS 15 and is upgradeable to Apple iOS 16. Apple has promised five years of major software updates for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

The iPhone 13 Pro Max will get five years of major software updates while the Xiaomi 12S Ultra will get three years of major software updates. That is two more years of major software updates for the iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs iPhone 13 Pro Max: Battery and Charging

The Xiaomi 12S Ultra is powered by a 4,800mAh battery while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max is powered by a 4,352mAh battery. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra features a 67W wired fast charge while the iPhone 13 Pro Max features a 27W wired fast charge. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has 50W Fast wireless charging While the iPhone 13 Pro Max has 15W MagSafe wireless charging. The Reverse wireless charging of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is 10W while the iPhone 13 Pro Max has 7.5W Qi magnetic fast wireless charging.

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: Price

The 8GB RAM and 256GB storage of the Xiaomi 12S and iPhone 13 Pro Max are priced at $1,199. But the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is cheaper because the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage is priced at $1,399 while the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max with similar storage is sold for about $1,499.

Buy Xiaomi 12S Ultra and iPhone 13 Pro Max

Xiaomi 12S Ultra	Price	iPhone 13 Pro Max	Price
Buy on Giztop	$1,199	Buy on Amazon	$1,147
		Buy on Gazelle	$1,147

Xiaomi 12S Ultra vs Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max: Conclusion

So, between the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, which should you buy? It depends on what you like in a smartphone.

Before I highlight the differences between these two phones, allow me to show you their similarities. Both phones have an LTPO panel, 120Hz refresh rate, TOF 3D camera, IP68 certification, and wireless charge features.

But, the screen of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is curved, and that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max is flat. The iPhone 13 Pro Max has a stainless steel frame while the Xiaomi 12S Ultra has an aluminum frame. The display of the Xiaomi 12S Ultra is brighter. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra also has a bigger battery and faster-wired charge solution.

In conclusion, if you prefer a flat-screen phone, then buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max but if you prefer a curved-screen phone then buy the Xiaomi 12S Ultra. As for performance and camera, the Apple iPhone 13 Pro still has slightly better performance and also has more camera features.