Xiaomi 18 Pro Max or iPhone 18 Pro Max: Will Xiaomi Outdo Apple This Time?

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max features a 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 2624×1208 pixels, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a brightness of up to 4,000 nits. It also features an additional 2.9-inch display on the back for showing notifications and other information.
In contrast, the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a 6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2868×1320 pixels, a pixel density of 460 pixels per inch, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a brightness of up to 3,000 nits.
In terms of design, the Xiaomi weighs 235 grams and is 8.4 mm thick, while the iPhone weighs about 249 grams and is 8.75 mm thick.

Conclusion: The Xiaomi outperforms the iPhone in brightness and weight, while the iPhone offers higher resolution and greater pixel density, with an additional rear display that gives the Xiaomi an edge.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 processor built on a 2-nanometer process, paired with an Adreno 850 graphics processor, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the Apple A20 Pro processor built on a 2-nanometer process, paired with an Apple GPU.

Both phones support PUBG Mobile at up to 120 frames per second (120 FPS) with stable gameplay, making them strong choices for competitive gamers.

However, we currently do not have AnTuTu, Geekbench, and 3DMark test results for both phones that would allow for a direct numerical comparison.

Here lies one of the most notable differences.
The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max features a rear camera system consisting of:
A 200MP main camera.
A 200MP periscope zoom camera.
A 50MP ultra-wide camera.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max, on the other hand, comes with three rear cameras, each with a 48MP resolution:
A Fusion main camera with a variable aperture.
A telephoto camera.
An ultra-wide camera.
In terms of video, the Xiaomi supports 8K recording at 30 frames per second and 4K up to 120 frames per second, while the iPhone supports 4K recording up to 120 frames per second, with Dolby Vision, ProRes, and Apple Log 2 technologies.
For the front-facing camera, Xiaomi has the edge on paper with a 50MP sensor compared to the iPhone’s 18MP.
Conclusion: Xiaomi leads in sensor resolution and feature variety, particularly with its 200MP telephoto camera, while the iPhone offers professional-grade, advanced photography and video capabilities. Higher resolution alone does not necessarily mean better photos.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max significantly outperforms its competitors in battery capacity, featuring an 8,500mAh battery with 100W wired charging, 50W wireless charging, and 27W reverse wireless charging.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max, on the other hand, comes with a 5,391mAh battery in the model mentioned in our data, with support for 25W wireless charging.

Conclusion: The Xiaomi phone clearly has the edge in terms of battery capacity, charging speed, and variety of options.

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max offers the following options:
12GB or 16GB of RAM.
256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 18 Pro Max comes with 12GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 256GB to 2TB.
Conclusion: The iPhone has the edge with its 2TB storage capacity, while the Xiaomi offers up to 16GB of RAM.

Both phones support Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, and IP68-rated water and dust resistance.
But Xiaomi offers some important extras:
A USB-C 3.2 port.
Infrared for controlling devices.
An under-display fingerprint sensor.
An additional rear display.
As for the iPhone, it offers:
Face ID for facial recognition.
Apple Intelligence.
Professional video technologies such as ProRes and Apple Log 2.

The bottom line: Xiaomi offers greater flexibility in certain features and connectivity, while the iPhone stands out for its Apple security and software ecosystem.