Huawei Mate 40 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra: Which Flagship Still Holds Up?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing all-around performance and a more versatile camera system, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 888 chipset and faster charging capabilities provide a noticeable edge, despite the Mate 40 Pro’s excellent battery endurance.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Huawei Mate 40 Pro | Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 66 - International |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79, 80, 84 SA/NSA/Sub6 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| CDMA2000 1xEV-DO | 1, 3, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 22 | 2021, March 29 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, November 01 | Available. Released 2021, April 02 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), ceramic back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 162.9 x 75.5 x 9.1 mm (Glass) / 9.5mm (Leather) | 164.3 x 74.6 x 8.4 mm (6.47 x 2.94 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 212 g (7.48 oz) | 234 g (8.25 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | - | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus |
| Resolution | 1344 x 2772 pixels, 18.5:9 ratio (~456 ppi density) | 1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.76 inches, 115.7 cm2 (~94.1% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.81 inches, 112.0 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, HDR10, 90Hz | AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 900 nits (HBM), 1700 nits (peak) |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.13 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.54 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.05 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Kirin 9000 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Mali-G78 MP24 | Adreno 660 |
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play Services | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, MIUI 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, LED flash, panorama, HDR | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama, 1.1” AMOLED selfie display |
| Single | - | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 20 MP, f/1.8, 18mm (ultrawide), PDAF | 50 MP, f/2.0, 24mm (wide), 1/1.12", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 48 MP, f/4.1, 120mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 12mm, 128˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/480fps, 720p@960fps, 720p@3840fps, HDR, gyro-EIS | 8K@24fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240/960/1920fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10+ rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR, panorama | HDR, panorama |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide) TOF 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps | 1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 32-bit/384kHz audio | 24-bit/192kHz audio Tuned by Harman Kardon | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive |
| Infrared port | Yes | Yes |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compass |
| - | Virtual proximity sensing | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless | 67W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 36 min 67W wireless, 100% in 39 min 10W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4400 mAh | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Mystic Silver, White, Black, Green, Yellow | Ceramic White (Cosmic White), Ceramic Black (Cosmic Black) |
| Models | NOH-NX9, NOH-AN00, NOH-AN01 | M2102K1G, M2102K1C |
| Price | About 790 EUR | About 1500 EUR |
| SAR | - | 1.08 W/kg (head) 0.81 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.55 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 97h | Endurance rating 95h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.9 LUFS (Very good) | -24.3 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 686835 (v8) GeekBench: 3704 (v5.1) GFXBench: 43fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | AnTuTu: 688720 (v8) GeekBench: 3191 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
- Exceptional battery endurance (97h rating)
- Refined and mature software experience (despite ecosystem limitations)
- Fast 66W wired charging
- Kirin 9000 chipset is outperformed by Snapdragon 888
- Limited app availability due to Huawei ecosystem restrictions
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
- Powerful Snapdragon 888 5G chipset
- Faster 67W wired and wireless charging
- Versatile camera system with excellent zoom capabilities
- Slightly lower battery endurance (95h rating)
- Xiaomi’s MIUI software can be polarizing
Display Comparison
Both the Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra feature excellent displays with infinite (nominal) contrast ratios. However, the Mi 11 Ultra boasts a higher peak brightness of 943 nits compared to the Mate 40 Pro’s 807 nits, translating to better visibility in direct sunlight. While both utilize OLED technology, the Mi 11 Ultra’s slightly higher brightness and potentially more advanced color calibration (though not specified in the data) give it a slight edge for media consumption and outdoor use.
Camera Comparison
Both phones excel in photography and videography, but approach it differently. Without detailed sensor information, we can infer the Mi 11 Ultra likely has a larger main sensor, given its reputation for camera prowess. The Snapdragon 888’s image signal processor (ISP) is also known for its advanced computational photography capabilities. While both capture excellent photos, the Mi 11 Ultra’s superior zoom capabilities (based on market knowledge) and potentially more advanced image processing algorithms give it an edge in versatility. Both phones are capable of high-quality video recording.
Performance
The core difference lies in the chipsets: Huawei’s Kirin 9000 5G (5nm) versus Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm). While both are built on a 5nm process, the Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core, clocked at 2.84 GHz, offers a performance advantage over the Mate 40 Pro’s Cortex-A77 prime core at 3.13 GHz. This translates to faster app loading times and smoother multitasking. The Mi 11 Ultra’s Snapdragon 888 also benefits from Qualcomm’s Adreno 660 GPU, providing superior graphics performance for gaming. While the Kirin 9000 is no slouch, the Snapdragon 888 generally delivers a more responsive and powerful experience.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro holds a slight edge in endurance with a rating of 97 hours compared to the Mi 11 Ultra’s 95 hours. However, the Mi 11 Ultra compensates with significantly faster charging speeds: 67W wired (36 minutes to 100%) and 67W wireless (39 minutes to 100%) versus the Mate 40 Pro’s 66W wired, 50W wireless, and slower overall charging times. The Mi 11 Ultra’s faster charging mitigates any slight disadvantage in overall battery life, making it more convenient for users who frequently need to top up their devices.
Buying Guide
Buy the Huawei Mate 40 Pro if you prioritize exceptional battery life and a refined, mature software experience, even with the limitations of the Huawei ecosystem. Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra if you demand top-tier processing power for demanding tasks, a highly capable camera system with excellent zoom capabilities, and faster wired and wireless charging speeds.