Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Max
37.2Performance64.4
56.3Display63.8
72Camera74.3
46.4Battery92
78.7Features60
3 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra11 spec wins — Xiaomi 17 Max
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 17 Max wins this phone face-off, 71.4 to 53.9, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+46) and performance (+27). Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra still makes sense if its price or standout specs fit your needs better.
Which would you pick?
Key differences
Reasons to pick the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Stronger features score: 79 vs 60
- 233% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 3 x
- 25% higher Front camera: 40 MP vs 32 MP
- 24% higher Pixel density: 515 ppi vs 416 ppi
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 17 Max
- Stronger performance score: 64 vs 37
- Stronger display score: 64 vs 56
- Stronger battery score: 92 vs 46
- 400% higher telephoto: 50 MP vs 10 MP
- 317% higher ultra-wide: 50 MP vs 12 MP
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.8 ″ | 6.9 ″+1% |
| Panel type | LTPO AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 3200x1440 | 1200x2608 |
| Pixel density | 515 ppi+24% | 416 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,500 nits | 3,500 nits+133% |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| AnTuTu | 783,817Bottom 22% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 263,424Bottom 17% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 126,989Bottom 33% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 165,563Bottom 35% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 227,841Bottom 20% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (single) | 1,430Top 46% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | — |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 256/512GB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 108 MP | 200 MP+85% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.65 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 50 MP+400% |
| Optical zoom | 10 x+233% | 3 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | — |
| Front camera | 40 MP+25% | 32 MP |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 8,000 mAh+60% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 100 W+300% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 50 W+233% |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g | 219 g+4% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 8.2 mm+8% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68/IP69 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Fiberglass |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | — |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) | Android 16 (HyperOS 3) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | — |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
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