Xiaomi Mi 11 vs. iPhone 13 Pro Max: A Head-to-Head Flagship Battle

The Xiaomi Mi 11 and Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max represent distinct philosophies in the flagship smartphone space. The Mi 11, released with the cutting-edge Snapdragon 888, aimed to deliver top-tier Android performance at a competitive price. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic, focused on a tightly integrated hardware and software experience, prioritizing longevity and refinement. This comparison dissects their key differences to help you choose the right device.
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🏆 Quick Verdict

For the average user prioritizing long-term software support, consistent performance, and superior battery life, the iPhone 13 Pro Max is the clear winner. However, the Xiaomi Mi 11 offers significantly faster wired and wireless charging, making it a compelling option for those who value speed and convenience over ecosystem lock-in.

PHONES
Phone Names Xiaomi Mi 11 Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max
Network
2G bandsGSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 42, 66 - International1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2643, A2644, A2645
5G bands1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - International1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2643, A2644
SpeedHSPA, LTE, 5GHSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
TechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5GGSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G
 1, 3, 28, 41, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA - China1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2641
Launch
Announced2020, December 28. Released 2021, January 012021, September 14
StatusDiscontinuedAvailable. Released 2021, September 24
Body
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5) or eco leather back, aluminum frameGlass front, glass back, stainless steel frame
Dimensions164.3 x 74.6 x 8.1 mm (Glass) / 8.6 mm (Leather)160.8 x 78.1 x 7.7 mm (6.33 x 3.07 x 0.30 in)
SIMNano-SIM + Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight196 g (Glass) / 194 g (Leather) (6.84 oz)240 g (8.47 oz)
 -IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Display
ProtectionCorning Gorilla Glass VictusCeramic Shield glass
Resolution1440 x 3200 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~515 ppi density)1284 x 2778 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~458 ppi density)
Size6.81 inches, 112.0 cm2 (~91.4% screen-to-body ratio)6.7 inches, 109.8 cm2 (~87.4% screen-to-body ratio)
TypeAMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak)Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 1000 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak)
Platform
CPUOcta-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard)
ChipsetQualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm)Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm)
GPUAdreno 660Apple GPU (5-core graphics)
OSAndroid 11, upgradable to Android 14, HyperOSiOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1
Memory
Card slotNoNo
Internal128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM, 1TB 6GB RAM
 UFS 3.1NVMe
Main Camera
FeaturesDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR, panoramaDual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)
Single-12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Triple108 MP, f/1.9, 26mm (wide), 1/1.33", 0.8µm, PDAF, OIS 13 MP, f/2.4, 123˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.06", 1.12µm 5 MP (macro)12 MP, f/1.5, 26mm (wide), 1/1.7", 1.9µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.8, 77mm (telephoto), PDAF, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, OIS, 3x optical zoom 12 MP, f/1.8, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth)
Video8K@24/30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps; gyro-EIS, HDR10+4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), ProRes, stereo sound rec.
Selfie camera
FeaturesHDRHDR
Single20 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/3.4", 0.8µm12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor)
Video1080p@30/60fps, 720p@120fps4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS
Sound
3.5mm jack NoNo
35mm jackNoNo
Loudspeaker Yes, with stereo speakersYes, with stereo speakers
 24-bit/192kHz audio-
Comms
Bluetooth5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive5.0, A2DP, LE
Infrared portYes-
NFCYesYes
PositioningGPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
RadioNoNo
USBUSB Type-C 2.0, OTGLightning, USB 2.0
WLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi DirectWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot
Features
SensorsFingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, compassFace ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
 Virtual proximity sensingUltra Wideband (UWB) support
Battery
Charging55W wired, PD3.0, QC4, 100% in 45 min 50W wireless, 100% in 53 min 10W reverse wirelessWired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update
TypeLi-Po 4600 mAhLi-Ion 4352 mAh (16.75 Wh)
Misc
ColorsHorizon Blue, Cloud White, Midnight Gray, Special Edition Blue, Gold, VioletGraphite, Gold, Silver, Sierra Blue, Alpine Green
ModelsM2011K2C, M2011K2GA2643, A2484, A2641, A2644, A2645, iphone14,3
PriceAbout 330 EUR€ 423.38 / $ 394.86 / £ 355.00
SAR0.95 W/kg (head)     0.65 W/kg (body)1.18 W/kg (head)     1.20 W/kg (body)
SAR EU0.56 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)0.99 W/kg (head)     0.98 W/kg (body)
Tests
Battery life Endurance rating 89h Endurance rating 121h
Camera Photo / Video Photo / Video
Display Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker -24.2 LUFS (Very good) -24.0 LUFS (Very good)
Performance AnTuTu: 668722 (v8) GeekBench: 3489 (v5.1) GFXBench: 33fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) AnTuTu: 801691 (v9) GeekBench: 4706 (v5.1) GFXBench: 60fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Xiaomi Mi 11

  • Significantly faster wired and wireless charging
  • More affordable price point (at launch)
  • Android OS offers greater customization

  • Shorter battery life
  • Less consistent performance under sustained load
  • Potentially shorter software support lifespan

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max

  • Exceptional battery life
  • Superior performance and efficiency
  • Long-term software support and updates

  • Slower charging speeds
  • Higher price
  • Less customization options with iOS

Display Comparison

Both devices boast 'Infinite' contrast ratios, suggesting excellent black levels. However, the iPhone 13 Pro Max distinguishes itself with a measured peak brightness of 1050 nits, significantly exceeding what the Mi 11 likely achieves. This translates to superior visibility in direct sunlight. While both likely utilize OLED panels, Apple’s ProMotion technology (not mentioned in the data, but standard for the 13 Pro Max) offers adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, providing smoother scrolling and animations compared to the Mi 11’s likely fixed refresh rate. The lack of PWM dimming rate data for the Mi 11 is a concern, as lower rates can cause eye strain for sensitive users.

Camera Comparison

Both phones are listed as having Photo/Video capabilities, but the context data lacks specifics. Given Apple’s reputation, the iPhone 13 Pro Max likely features superior image processing and computational photography. The larger sensor size typically found in iPhones, combined with advanced features like Cinematic Mode, gives it an advantage in low-light performance and video quality. The Mi 11’s camera system is likely very capable, but without sensor size or aperture data, it’s difficult to assess its relative performance. The absence of detail regarding the Mi 11’s camera features suggests it may not offer the same level of refinement as the iPhone.

Performance

The core difference lies in the chipsets. The Apple A15 Bionic, a hexa-core processor with Avalanche and Blizzard cores clocked up to 3.23 GHz, consistently outperforms the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (octa-core, 2.84 GHz Cortex-X1) in both single-core and multi-core benchmarks. While the Snapdragon 888 is a powerful chip, the A15 Bionic’s architectural advantages and optimized software integration provide a noticeable performance edge, particularly in sustained workloads. The iPhone 13 Pro Max benefits from Apple’s control over both hardware and software, resulting in more efficient thermal management and less throttling under heavy load. The Mi 11, while capable, may experience more performance dips during extended gaming sessions.

Battery Life

The iPhone 13 Pro Max dominates in battery endurance, achieving a remarkable 121 hours in testing, compared to the Mi 11’s 89 hours. This 32-hour difference is substantial and reflects Apple’s optimization of both hardware and software for power efficiency. While the Mi 11 compensates with significantly faster charging – 55W wired (45 min to 100%) and 50W wireless (53 min to 100%) – the iPhone’s longer battery life reduces the need for frequent charging. The iPhone 13 Pro Max also supports MagSafe wireless charging (15W) and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), offering convenient wireless charging options, though slower than the Mi 11’s 50W wireless.

Buying Guide

Buy the Xiaomi Mi 11 if you need blazing-fast charging speeds (55W wired, 50W wireless) and prefer the flexibility of the Android operating system. It’s ideal for power users who frequently top up their phones and enjoy customization. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max if you prioritize a seamless user experience, exceptional battery endurance (121 hours), and guaranteed software updates for years to come. It’s the best choice for users deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem and those seeking a reliable, long-lasting device.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Xiaomi Mi 11's 55W charging degrade the battery faster than the iPhone 13 Pro Max's slower charging?
While faster charging can theoretically contribute to slightly increased battery degradation over the long term, the Mi 11 incorporates charging management technologies to mitigate this. The difference in degradation is likely minimal for typical usage patterns. The convenience of a full charge in under an hour often outweighs the potential for slightly faster degradation.
❓ Is the Snapdragon 888 in the Mi 11 known to overheat during demanding tasks like gaming?
The Snapdragon 888 is known to run warmer than some of its competitors, and the Mi 11 may experience some thermal throttling during prolonged, intensive gaming sessions. While not a crippling issue, users may notice a slight dip in performance after extended play. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, with its A15 Bionic and superior thermal management, is less prone to overheating.
❓ How does the software update policy differ between the Xiaomi Mi 11 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max?
Apple provides significantly longer software support for its iPhones. The iPhone 13 Pro Max will receive major iOS updates for at least 5-6 years, while the Mi 11’s update commitment is considerably shorter. This means the iPhone 13 Pro Max will remain secure and feature-rich for a longer period.