Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
37.2Performance88.1
56.3Display67.4
72Camera73.3
46.4Battery95
78.7Features86.7
4 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra13 spec wins — Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 82.2 to 53.9, pulling ahead mainly in performance (+51) and battery (+49). 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
- 116% higher Main camera: 108 MP vs 50 MP
- 100% higher Optical zoom: 10 x vs 5 x
- 24% higher Pixel density: 515 ppi vs 416 ppi
- Has eSIM — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 88 vs 37
- Stronger display score: 67 vs 56
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 46
- Stronger features score: 87 vs 79
- 400% higher telephoto: 50 MP vs 10 MP
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro 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% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 92.3 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 783,817Bottom 22% | 3,543,388 |
| 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% | 3,528+147%Top 6% |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | 10,600+199%Top 5% |
| Wild Life Extreme stability | — | 60 %Bottom 22% |
| RAM (max) | 12 GB | 16 GB+33% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB | 512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 108 MP+116% | 50 MP |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 10 MP | 50 MP+400% |
| Optical zoom | 10 x+100% | 5 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 40 MP | 50 MP+25% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,000 mAh | 7,500 mAh+50% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 100 W+300% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 50 W+233% |
| Active use endurance | — | 20.8 h |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 228 g | 219 g+4% |
| Thickness | 8.9 mm | 8 mm+10% |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro 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 | No |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Pro 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 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
Related comparisons
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultravs realme P4 Power 5GVSSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultravs TECNO POVA Curve 2 5GVSSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultravs Motorola Edge 50 ProVSSamsung Galaxy S21 Ultravs iPhone 16eVSXiaomi 17 Pro Maxvs Vivo X300VSXiaomi 17 Pro Maxvs Honor Magic8VSXiaomi 17 Pro Maxvs OPPO Find X9 ProVSXiaomi 17 Pro Maxvs OnePlus 15VS