Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
34.4Performance64.4
49.1Display69.8
40.8Camera83.6
36.9Battery92
78.7Features86.7
4 spec wins — Samsung Galaxy S2110 spec wins — Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
InnoReviews verdict
Xiaomi 18 Pro Max wins this phone face-off, 77.1 to 43.6, pulling ahead mainly in battery (+55) and camera (+43). 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
- 27% lower weight: 171 g vs 235 g
- Has eSIM — the other doesn't
Reasons to pick the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max
- Stronger performance score: 64 vs 34
- Stronger display score: 70 vs 49
- Stronger camera score: 84 vs 41
- Stronger battery score: 92 vs 37
- Stronger features score: 87 vs 79
Display
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.2 ″ | 6.9 ″+11% |
| Panel type | AMOLED | LTPO AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400x1080 | 1208x2624 |
| Pixel density | 421 ppi+1% | 418 ppi |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Peak brightness | 1,300 nits | 4,000 nits+208% |
| Screen-to-body | — | 91.6 % |
Performance
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 |
| AnTuTu | 746,547Bottom 18% | — |
| 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% | — |
| Geekbench 6 (multi) | 3,550Bottom 50% | — |
| RAM (max) | 8 GB | 16 GB+100% |
| Storage options | 128GB / 256GB | 256/512GB/1TB |
| Storage type | UFS 3.1 | UFS 4.1 |
Camera
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 12 MP | 200 MP+1567% |
| Main aperture | f/1.8 | f/1.7 |
| Ultra-wide | 12 MP | 50 MP+317% |
| Telephoto | 64 MP | 200 MP+213% |
| Optical zoom | — | 3.2 x |
| Max video | 8K@24fps | 8K@30fps |
| Front camera | 10 MP | 50 MP+400% |
| OIS | Yes | Yes |
Battery
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 4,000 mAh | 8,500 mAh+113% |
| Wired charging | 25 W | 100 W+300% |
| Wireless charging | 15 W | 50 W+233% |
Design
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 171 g+27% | 235 g |
| Thickness | 7.9 mm+6% | 8.4 mm |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP66/IP68/IP69 |
| Frame material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
Connectivity
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| 5G | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6.0 |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.2 |
| eSIM | Yes | No |
Software
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| OS at launch | Android 11 (One UI 3.1) | Android 17 (HyperOS 4) |
| OS update pledge | 4 years | — |
Audio
| Spec | Samsung Galaxy S21 | Xiaomi 18 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Stereo speakers | Yes | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |