Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: Which is the better premium phone

Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is one of the few phones you might want to consider if you’re not an Apple fan. But, compared to the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, how good is the Xiaomi 13 Ultra?

Well, in this article, I’ll be comparing the specs of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Buying either phone will require you to spend above $1,000, so you might as well spend it rightly. This Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max article will show which is a better premium phone.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

Specs	Xiaomi 13 Ultra	iPhone 14 Pro Max
Display	6.73-inches, 120Hz	6.7-inches, 120Hz
Display Panel	AMOLED, LTPO3	XDr OLED, LTPO
RAM	up to 16GB	6GB
Storage	up to 1TB	up to 1TB
MicroSD Card	NO	NO
3.5mm Port	NO	NO
Back Camera	50.3MP + 50MP + 50MP + 50MP	48MP + 12MP + 12MP
Front Camera	32MP	12MP + SL 3D
Chipset	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Apple A16 Bionic
Software	Android 13	Apple iOS 16
Battery	5,000mAh (90W)	4,323mAh (45W)
Wireless Charging	YES (50W)	YES (15W)
Water & DustProof	YES(IP68)	YES (IP68)

Chipset and Performance

The chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro Max is different from the one in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. The chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro Max is the Apple A16 Bionic chipset while the chipset in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Both chipsets support 5G connectivity but have different CPU cores and GPU.

The A16 Bionic chipset has a Hexa-core processor (6-core CPU) while the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset has an Octa-core processor (8-core CPU). The iPhone 14 Pro Max features Apple GPU (5-core graphics) while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra features Adreno 740 GPU. And because both phones have different chipsets, CPU cores, and GPU, their performances are also very different.

The chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro Max has faster CPU cores which give an edge over the Xiaomi 13 Ultra when it comes to processing data. For context, the power core CPU of the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a speed of 3.46GHz which is faster than the 3.2GHz of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

The GPU available in both phones is very powerful and most times the GPU in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra allows it to play graphics-intensive games smoother for a longer time than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. But overall, when it comes to performance, the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max is slightly better than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra because of its optimization and faster CPU cores.

Design, Display, and Durability

The design of both smartphones looks really good and choosing between them is subject to user preference. Some people will prefer the curved, simple punch hole, and circular rear camera design of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra while others will prefer the flat, double notch, and square rear camera design of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

The display of both smartphones has the same LTPO AMOLED panel but has different designs. The 6.73-inch display of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is slightly bigger than the 6.7-inch display of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Although the display of both phones supports 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, the display of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is brighter. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a peak brightness of 2,600 nits which is brighter than the 2,000 nits peak brightness of the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

For the durability test, both smartphones survived our bend and water test. Both smartphones are made of Glass front, eco-leather back/glass back, and aluminum frame. Both phones are also certified to be IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min). The display of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus while that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max is protected by Ceramic Shield glass. A fall from a jean pocket on a flat surface won’t cause serious damage to the display of either phone.

Photography and Videography

The camera systems on the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max are great but which of these phones takes better photos and records better videos?

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is better than the iPhone 14 Pro Max when taking still photos but the iPhone 14 Pro Max is better than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra when recording videos. The 1-inch 50.3M Sony IMX989 sensor of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra is better than the 48MP main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro Max when taking photos.

Both smartphones have TOF 3D depth sensors but the larger camera sensor of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra allows it takes better photos. The TOF 3D sensor focuses on the subject of a photo and can separate it from the background clearly. However, when it comes to recording videos, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is better.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max is better at videography because it supports video recording in more frame rates and has better stability features. While the Xiaomi 13 Ultra can only record 8K@24fps and 4K@24/30/60fps, the iPhone 14 Pro Max can record 8K@24/30fps and 4K@24/25/30/60fps. While the 32MP front camera of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra can only record 1080p@30fps, the 12MP front camera of the iPhone 14 Pro Max can record 4K@24/25/30/60fps.

The iPhone 14 Pro Max also has more video recording features than the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Video recording features such as ProRes, Cinematic mode (4K@24/30fps), and stereo sound rec. are available in the iPhone 14 Pro Max but not in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

It is important to note that the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has two telephoto cameras that can do up to 100X digital zoom while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has just one. Both phones have similar camera features like multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS, Dual-Pixel PDAF, optical zoom, etc.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery & Charging

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery cell inside while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 4,323mAh battery cell inside. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra supports 90W wired and 50W wireless fast charging while the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max supports 45W wired and 15W wireless fast charging. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a bigger battery and a faster wired and wireless charging system.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Network & Other Features

Both smartphones support 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G network connectivity (both phones have the same 5G MODEM inside). Both phones also support NFC, have USB Type-C 3.2, Bluetooth 5.3, Fingerprint (under-display), etc. But the iPhone 14 Pro Max supports Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving) and Ultra Wideband (UWB) while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra does not. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra supports Infrared and DisplayPort while the iPhone 14 Pro Max does not.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Software

The Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max boots Apple iOS 16 out of the box while the Xiaomi 13 Ultra boots MIUI 14 based on Android 13 out of the box. Apple Inc. has promised five years of software updates for the iPhone 14 Pro Max while Xiaomi has promised three years of software updates for the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price

The price of the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max in the US starts at $1,099.00 for the base models with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage while the price of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra in the US starts at $1,199.00 for the model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. But which should you buy between these phones? Check out the Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs iPhone 14 Pro Max verdict below.

Buy Xiaomi 13 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max

Xiaomi 13 Ultra	Price
Buy on Giztop	$1,199.00

iPhone 14 Pro Max	Price
Buy on Amazon(UK)	$1099.00
Buy on Amazon(EUR)	€1,499.00

Verdict: Xiaomi 13 Ultra vs Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max

The extra RAM, faster charging, bigger battery, and brighter display are the reasons why you might want to buy the Xiaomi 13 Ultra instead of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. While the software updates, Emergency SOS via satellite (SMS sending/receiving), video recording features, and UWB features are the reasons why you might want to buy the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max instead of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.

There is no doubt that both the Xiaomi 13 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max are two great smartphones of 2023. And you won’t be wrong if you buy either of these phones as both phones will give you good value for the money. However, I’ll recommend the Xiaomi 13 Ultra for those who’re not using the Apple ecosystem and for the extra RAM, storage, and better display quality.