Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
34.4Performance88.1
49.1Display67.4
40.8Camera73.3
36.9Battery95
78.7Features86.7
5 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S2111 spec wins — Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 17 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 82.2 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+58) and performance (+54). Samsung Galaxy S21 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
- 28% higher telephoto: 64 MP vs 50 MP
- 22% lower weight: 171 g vs 219 g
- Has eSIM — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 88 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 67 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 73 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 95 vs 37
- Stronger features score: 87 vs 79
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.2 ″ | 6.9 ″+11% |
| Panel type | AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 1200x2608 |
| Pixel density | 421 ppi+1% | 416 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,300 nits | 3,500 nits+169% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 92.3 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 |
| AnTuTuDifferent AnTuTu versions — not compared | 746,547Bottom 18% | 3,543,388 |
| AnTuTu 11 (CPU) | 252,025Bottom 14% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (GPU) | 127,819Bottom 35% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (Memory) | 144,909Bottom 16% | — |
| AnTuTu 11 (UX) | 221,794Bottom 18% | — |
| 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) | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 64 MP+28% | 50 MP |
| Optical zoom | — | 5 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 10 MP | 50 MP+400% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,000 mAh | 7,500 mAh+88% |
| 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 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 171 g+22% | 219 g |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm+1% | 8 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP68 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | No |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | 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 | Xiaomi 17 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |