Xiaomi 15 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
Verdict
Xiaomi 15 Ultra scores higher on the OH Rank (77 vs 76), winning 3 of 10 categories including Screen and Main Camera. Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is 2.6mm wider than Xiaomi 15 Ultra. Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is the more recent release, from Sep 25, 2025.
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
77
76
Xiaomi 15 Ultra
75mm (2.95in) · Feb 27, 2025 · Rank #24
11+11+15+12+15+3+5+0+5+0 = 77
FLY* TOP Screen* TOP Camera* TOP Video Recording
EDITORIAL: This year, one of the TOP 5 camera phones came with a significant battery endurance improvement. The main camera retained the 1" sensor, lost the variable aperture but the 2 zoom cameras are now better then ever. There is no AF on the selfie and like last year, there is an extra camera grip available for the ultimate photo & video creation. Still missing are SD memory card and the desktop replacement feature. Promised are 4 years of OS updates.
PROs
SnapDragon 8 Elite processor with UFS 4.1 fast overall performance, a 5410mAh Silicone Carbon battery (6000mAh in China) with a >30hr endurance, 90W wired or 80W wireless charging, >1500nits bright 500+ppi LTPO OLED screen with Dolby Vision, one of the best cameras on the market: 50MP 23mm main + 200MP 100mm tele + 50MP 70mm tele (all with PDAF & OIS) + 50MP 14mm PDAF ultrawide, great back camera recording, 4 years of OS updates
CONs
32MP 21mm selfie with no OIS or even AF, lack of expandable SDmemory storage (while offering 8k video recording) and a lack of desktop replacement software
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
77.6mm (3.06in) · Sep 25, 2025 · Rank #30
13+14+11+12+12+5+4+0+5+0 = 76
SUPERIOR* TOP Battery Endurance* TOP Selfie* TOP Software
EDITORIAL: Xiaomi created the Pro and Pro Max models this year to declare focus on Apple's market share. And rightfully so as Xiaomi 17 Pro Max does everything as well as iPhone 17 Pro Max except telephoto pics and overall video recording. To make up for it, Xiaomi's Pro Max has better endurance then iPhone 17 Pro Max (and lasts much longer then S26U), faster charging, brighter screen and of course: a second display that can even be used as a gaming platform (with optional attachment). Ironically, there is an excellent new selfie camera on a phone that can use the superior back cameras for amazing selfies.
PROs
great built, great SD 8 Elite Gen 5 with UFS 4.1 performance (with throttling under very high loads), 48hr endurance from a 7500mAh Si-C battery with sub-40min 100W (50W wireless) charging. 2 LTPO AMOLED screens with >2000Hz PWM dimming and both Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certification. IP68 protection (down to 6m for 30min). great imaging from 50MP OIS 23mm main + 50MP 17mm ultrawide (both with PDAF), excellent 50MP 21mm PDAF selfie, 6 years of OS updates, fast USB-C 3.2 port with Display Out tech for screen sharing with PCs and Macs
CONs
limited to China market, okay performance from the new 50MP 115mm OIS PDAF periscope telephoto (worse at night) and 17mm ultrawide camera is not really "ultra" wide, no expandable memory, Harmony OS is not everyone's cup of tea, no desktop replacement functionality
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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