Xiaomi 17 Pro Max vs Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra: A Deep Dive into Performance and Endurance

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra represent the pinnacle of Android smartphone technology. While both devices aim for the top spot, they take distinctly different approaches. The Xiaomi prioritizes sustained performance and battery longevity, while the Samsung focuses on a premium user experience with a brighter display and a highly-regarded camera system. This comparison will dissect their key differences to help you choose the right flagship.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For users prioritizing all-day (and then some) battery life and raw processing power, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max is the clear winner. Its 20:50h active use score and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset offer a significant advantage. However, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra excels in display brightness and camera versatility, making it ideal for content creators and visual enthusiasts.

PHONES
Phone Names Xiaomi 17 Pro Max Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 66, 711, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International
5G bands1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 18, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 70, 71, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 89 SA/NSA1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 26, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 75, 77, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6 - International
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE (up to 7CA), 5G
TechnologyGSM / HSPA / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
Launch
Announced2025, September 252024, January 17
StatusAvailable. Released 2025, September 25Available. Released 2024, January 24
Body
BuildGlass front (Dragon Crystal Glass 3), aluminum frameGlass front (Corning Gorilla Armor), glass back (Corning Gorilla Armor), titanium frame (grade 2)
Dimensions162.9 x 77.6 x 8 mm (6.41 x 3.06 x 0.31 in)162.3 x 79 x 8.6 mm (6.39 x 3.11 x 0.34 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - INT· Nano-SIM + eSIM + eSIM (max 2 at a time) - USA· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM - CN
Weight219 g (7.72 oz)232 g or 233 g (8.18 oz)
Display
ProtectionXiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 3Corning Gorilla Armor
Resolution1200 x 2608 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~416 ppi density)1440 x 3120 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~505 ppi density)
Size6.9 inches, 116.6 cm2 (~92.3% screen-to-body ratio)6.8 inches, 113.5 cm2 (~88.5% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeLTPO AMOLED, 68B colors, 2160Hz PWM, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, HDR10+, 3500 nits (peak)Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 2600 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M)8-core (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm)Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
GPUAdreno 840Adreno 750 (1 GHz)
OSAndroid 16, HyperOS 3Android 14, up to 7 major Android upgrades, One UI 8.0
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM
Main Camera
FeaturesLaser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica lens, Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaLaser AF, LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
Quad-200 MP, f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.3", 0.6µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 10 MP, f/2.4, 67mm (telephoto), 1/3.52", 1.12µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/3.4, 111mm (periscope telephoto), 1/2.52", 0.7µm, PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, Super Steady video
Triple50 MP, f/1.7, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 50 MP, f/2.6, 115mm (periscope telephoto), 1/1.95", 0.8µm, PDAF (30cm - ∞), OIS, 5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.4, 17mm, 102˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm, PDAF-
Video8K@30fps (HDR), 4K@30/60/120fps (HDR10+, 10-bit Dolby Vision HDR, 10-bit LOG), 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps, 720p@1920fps, gyro-EIS8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDR, panoramaHDR, HDR10+
Single50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), 1/2.88", 0.61µm, PDAF12 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide), 1/3.2", 1.12µm, dual pixel PDAF
Video4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps
Sound
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos)Yes, with stereo speakers
Comms
Bluetooth5.4, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 55.3, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5), GLONASSGPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 3.2, Display Port, OTGUSB Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort 1.2, OTG
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, proximity, gyro, compass, barometerFingerprint (under display, ultrasonic), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Battery
Charging100W wired, PD3.0, QC3+, 100W PPS 50W wireless 22.5W reverse wireless45W wired, PD3.0, 65% in 30 min 15W wireless (Qi) 4.5W reverse wireless
TypeSi/C Li-Ion 7500 mAhLi-Ion 5000 mAh
Misc
ColorsBlack, White, Purple, GreenTitanium Black, Titanium Gray, Titanium Violet, Titanium Yellow, Titanium Blue, Titanium Green, Titanium Orange
Models2509FPN0BCSM-S928B, SM-S928B/DS, SM-S928U, SM-S928U1, SM-S928W, SM-S928N, SM-S9280, SM-S928E, SM-S928E/DS
PriceAbout 720 EUR$ 514.94 / C$ 929.99 / £ 630.00 / € 658.53 / ₹ 84,999
SAR-1.26 W/kg (head)     0.62 W/kg (body)
SAR EU-1.06 W/kg (head)     1.30 W/kg (body)

Xiaomi 17 Pro Max

  • Exceptional battery life (20:50h active use)
  • Faster charging speeds (100W wired)
  • Potentially superior CPU performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5

  • Lower peak display brightness
  • Camera system details unknown, potentially less versatile

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

  • Brighter display (1447 nits)
  • Refined camera system with advanced features
  • Polished software experience

  • Shorter battery life (13:49h active use)
  • Slower charging speeds (45W wired)

Display Comparison

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra immediately pulls ahead in display technology, achieving a measured peak brightness of 1447 nits compared to the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s 1026 nits. This difference is immediately noticeable in direct sunlight. While both likely employ LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates, Samsung’s superior brightness and potentially wider color gamut provide a more immersive viewing experience. The Xiaomi’s display, while still excellent, is geared towards efficiency rather than outright visual dominance.

Camera Comparison

The provided data focuses on the chipsets, not the camera systems. However, given Samsung’s history, the S24 Ultra likely features a more versatile camera setup with a greater emphasis on computational photography and advanced features like Space Zoom. Xiaomi has been improving its camera capabilities, but Samsung typically leads in image processing and video stabilization. Without specific sensor details, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment, but the S24 Ultra’s reputation suggests a more refined and feature-rich camera experience.

Performance

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, built on a 3nm process, represents a significant leap in mobile processing. Its octa-core configuration (2x4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6x3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M) promises superior multi-core performance compared to the Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (1x3.39GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.1GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.9GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.2GHz Cortex-A520) which is fabricated on a 4nm node. The 3nm process should translate to better thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during extended gaming sessions. However, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is still a powerhouse, and real-world differences may be less pronounced for typical usage.

Battery Life

The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s battery performance is its standout feature, achieving an impressive 20:50h of active use. This significantly surpasses the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 13:49h. While the S24 Ultra offers 45W wired charging and 65% charge in 30 minutes, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max boasts a much faster 100W wired charging, alongside 50W wireless and 22.5W reverse wireless capabilities. This charging speed advantage, combined with the larger battery capacity implied by the longer runtime, makes the Xiaomi the clear winner for users who prioritize battery life and quick top-ups.

Buying Guide

Buy the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max if you need exceptional battery life for demanding tasks like gaming or content creation, and value raw CPU/GPU performance for sustained periods. Buy the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra if you prioritize a brighter, more vibrant display for media consumption, a refined camera experience with advanced features, and a more polished software ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max run significantly hotter than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 during prolonged gaming?
Theoretically, the 3nm process of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 should result in better thermal efficiency. However, sustained performance depends on Xiaomi’s thermal management implementation. While the 8 Gen 3 is also efficient, the Xiaomi has the potential to maintain peak performance for longer periods without significant throttling, assuming adequate cooling.
❓ How does the 100W charging on the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max compare to the 45W charging on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in real-world scenarios?
The Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s 100W charging will significantly reduce charging times. While Samsung claims 65% in 30 minutes, the Xiaomi will likely achieve a full charge in under 30 minutes, offering a substantial convenience advantage for users who frequently need to top up their battery.
❓ Is the difference in display brightness between the two phones noticeable in everyday use, or only in direct sunlight?
The 421-nit difference is quite substantial and will be noticeable even in moderately bright indoor environments. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s brighter display will offer a more vibrant and punchy image, while the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s display may appear slightly dimmer in comparison.