Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Xiaomi 17 Max
Verdict
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Xiaomi 17 Max tie on the OH Rank at a score of 73. Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max wins on Screen and Selfie; Xiaomi 17 Max wins on Performance and Battery. Xiaomi 17 Max is 0.9mm wider than Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Xiaomi 17 Max is the more recent release, from May 21, 2026.
Score Breakdown
Performance /15
Battery /15
Screen /15
IP Protection /15
Main Camera /15
Selfie /5
Video /5
SD Memory /5
Software /5
Desktop Replacement /5
TOTAL
73
73
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
76.7mm (3.02in) · Sep 2023 · Rank #58
9+12+13+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 73
* BEST phone Fall Winter 2023
EDITORIAL: Last yearâs best iPhone is a fantastic value now that Apple stopped selling it (but will keep supporting for years). This was the best phone in the world a year ago and will remain in the TOP 20 for a long time.
PROs
fast performance, a 2-day battery endurance, 1800nits very bright (460ppi) LTPO OLED with Dolby Vision, up to 6m of water submersion, OIS and PDAF 48MP main and 12MP tele plus a 12MP PDAF ultrawide, 12MP OIS PDAF Selfie and 5 more years of updates of already very mature iOS
CONs
big, 2-hand size, lack of innovation in recent years, disappointing AI effort, slow battery charging, lack of expandable storage (that forces you to iCloud), no Desktop replacement software (updated Mar 27, 2025)
Xiaomi 17 Max
77.6mm (3.06in) · May 21, 2026 · Rank #49
13+14+11+12+12+3+3+0+5+0 = 73
* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: (this is a pre-test listing based on reasonable expectation of screen and imaging performance) Xiaomi completes it's 17 series with a 5th phone. Similar to 17 Pro Max but with bigger battery and lesser imaging setup. With no secondary screen of Pro and Pro Max, expect outstanding endurance. Design is Xiaomi 15-like: understated and elegant with nice color options.
PROs
Xiaomi 15 understated design, excellent SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance, excellent 48hr endurance from a giant 8000mAh Si-C battery with sub-60min 100W (50W wireless) charging, sharp 420ppi LTPO AMOLED screen with Dolby Vision, IP68 protection, very good pics from a 200MP 23mm OIS main + 50MP 70mm OIS periscope telephoto + 50MP 17mm ultrawide (all with PDAF) setup, feature loaded and mature HyperOS with 4 years of OS updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port with Display Port, OTG and screen sharing with Android, PC and MacOS, even car screen devices
CONs
sub-1100nits screen, no AF on average performing 32MP 21mm selfie, average video recording, no expandable memory, no desktop replacement functionality, limited market availability
Both phones here were scored by me, using the same ten categories, with no ads, sponsorships, or manufacturer relationships — this comparison is as objective and honest as it gets.
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