Huawei Nova 16 Ultra vs Xiaomi 17 Max
The Huawei Nova 16 Ultra (2026) runs on the HiSilicon Kirin 9010s, while the Xiaomi 17 Max (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5; launch prices were $695 and $799. By overall MobileRank rating, the Xiaomi 17 Max leads — 88/100 vs 78/100 (a 10-point difference). Key differences: the Xiaomi 17 Max has the bigger battery (8000 mAh vs 7000); the Xiaomi 17 Max is faster in AnTuTu (3,654,776 vs 1,229,229).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Huawei Nova 16 Ultra
Xiaomi 17 Max
What makes Huawei Nova 16 Ultra better?
- Cheaper at launch: $695 vs $799
- Better camera (94/100 vs 90/100)
- Better display (85/100 vs 81/100)
- Better portability (57/100 vs 40/100)
What makes Xiaomi 17 Max better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 3654776 vs 1229229
- Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 1421
- Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 4323
- Bigger battery: 8000 vs 7000 mAh
- Lighter: 219g vs 220g
- Higher performance (97/100 vs 66/100)
- Longer battery life (90/100 vs 87/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra vs the Xiaomi 17 Max, the Xiaomi 17 Max scores 10 points higher (88/100 vs 78/100). In the "performance" category, the Xiaomi 17 Max leads (97/100 vs 66/100). Value score: Huawei Nova 16 Ultra — 70/100, Xiaomi 17 Max — 90/100; it shows how far a model sits above or below the usual level for its price, and is not part of the overall rating. In the "performance" category, the Xiaomi 17 Max significantly outperforms the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra (97/100 vs 66/100). In the "display" category, the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Max are nearly equal (85/100 vs 81/100). In the "camera" category, the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Max are nearly equal (94/100 vs 90/100). In the "battery" category, the Xiaomi 17 Max and the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra are nearly equal (90/100 vs 87/100). In the "portability" category, the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra notably outperforms the Xiaomi 17 Max (57/100 vs 40/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Huawei Nova 16 Ultra | Xiaomi 17 Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 9010s | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | |
| AnTuTu | 1229229 | 3654776 | |
| Geekbench Single | 1421 | 3639 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 4323 | 11047 | |
| Display | 6.8" LTPO OLED | 6.9" LTPO AMOLED | |
| Resolution | 2856x1320 | 2608x1200 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 120 Hz | |
| Battery | 7000 mAh | 8000 mAh | |
| Charging | 100W | 100W | |
| Wireless charging | 50W | 50W | |
| Main camera | 200 MP | 200 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 50 MP | 50 MP | |
| Telephoto | 50 MP | 50 MP | |
| Front camera | 50 MP | 32 MP | |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB / 16GB | |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB | |
| OS | HarmonyOS 6.1 | Android 16 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 6000 nits | 3500 nits | |
| NFC | yes | yes | |
| Protection | IP68 | IP68 | |
| Dimensions | 163.0×78.0×7.1 mm | — | |
| Weight | 220 g | 219 g | |
| Launch price | $695 | $799 |
Camera comparison
Huawei Nova 16 Ultra
- Main: 200MP f/1.8
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 50MP
- Front: 50MP
Xiaomi 17 Max
- Main: 200MP f/1.7
- Ultrawide: 50MP
- Telephoto: 50MP
- Front: 32MP
Display comparison
Huawei Nova 16 Ultra
- 6.8" LTPO OLED
- Resolution: 2856x1320
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Xiaomi 17 Max
- 6.9" LTPO AMOLED
- Resolution: 2608x1200
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Battery and charging
Huawei Nova 16 Ultra
- 7000 mAh
- Wired: 100W
- Wireless: 50W
Xiaomi 17 Max
- 8000 mAh
- Wired: 100W
- Wireless: 50W
Overall performance score
We compared Huawei Nova 16 Ultra and Xiaomi 17 Max, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Xiaomi 17 Max leads Huawei Nova 16 Ultra by 66.4% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Launch prices and where to check today's
Launch price difference: $104. Huawei Nova 16 Ultra was $104 cheaper at launch.
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Xiaomi 17 Max significantly outperforms the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra (97/100 vs 66/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Max are nearly equal (85/100 vs 81/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Max are nearly equal (94/100 vs 90/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the Xiaomi 17 Max and the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra are nearly equal (90/100 vs 87/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra notably outperforms the Xiaomi 17 Max (57/100 vs 40/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra or the Xiaomi 17 Max?
The Xiaomi 17 Max is noticeably better than the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra — the overall rating gap is 10 points.
What is the rating of the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra and the Xiaomi 17 Max?
The Huawei Nova 16 Ultra has a MobileRank rating of 78/100, the Xiaomi 17 Max — 88/100.
Which is more powerful: the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra or the Xiaomi 17 Max?
The Xiaomi 17 Max leads on performance (97/100 vs 66/100).
Should you choose the Huawei Nova 16 Ultra over the Xiaomi 17 Max?
The Huawei Nova 16 Ultra is a better fit for active users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life. The Xiaomi 17 Max is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life, budget-conscious buyers.