Apple iPhone 16 Plus vs Xiaomi 17 Max
Verdict
Apple iPhone 16 Plus and Xiaomi 17 Max tie on the OH Rank at a score of 73. Apple iPhone 16 Plus wins on Selfie and Video; Xiaomi 17 Max wins on Performance and Battery. Apple iPhone 16 Plus is 0.2mm wider than Xiaomi 17 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 16 Plus
77.8mm (3.06in) · Sep 2024 · Rank #59
11+12+11+12+12+5+5+0+5+0 = 73
EDITORIAL: Like itâs smaller version, iPhone 16 Plus is an excellent alternative to the Pro models â lacking are just the 120Htz refresh rate screen and a telephoto camera. The A18 processor is marginally slower than the A18 Pro chip used in 16 Pro and Pro Max making vanilla iPhones a better choice for more people. Battery charging remains painfully slow as with every iPhone and if coming from Android, iOS usebility and customization options can be downright upsetting. But iPhone users love how well Apple devices play with each other, so thereâs that.
PROs
fast A18 chip performance, a 2-day battery endurance, 1800nits very bright LTPO OLED with Dolby Vision, up to 6m of water submersion, good imaging from the 48MP OIS main, 12MP ultrawide plus a 12MP Selfie (all with PDAF) and 6 years of updates of already very mature iOS
CONs
lack of innovation in recent years, disappointing AI effort, slow battery charging, just 60Hz screen refresh rate, 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.
Visit Home page to compare world's best phones. You can see scoring and ranking explained on the About page.