Xiaomi 17 Ultra vs ZTE Axon 40

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra (2026) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, while the ZTE Axon 40 (2022) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870. By overall MobileRank rating, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads — 89/100 vs 58/100 (a 31-point difference). Key differences: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has the bigger battery (6000 mAh vs 5000); the main camera is 50 MP vs 64 MP; the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is faster in AnTuTu (3,600,724 vs 1,010,069); the ZTE Axon 40 is noticeably lighter (200g vs 226g).

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 by 31 points (89/100 vs 58/100).

Profile comparison

Category scores

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

Performance 97
Display 89
Camera 93
Battery 80
Portability 40
Value for money 88

ZTE Axon 40

Performance 61
Display 73
Camera 51
Battery 52
Portability 53
Value for money —

What makes Xiaomi 17 Ultra better?

  • Higher AnTuTu: 3600724 vs 1010069
  • Better Geekbench Single: 3639 vs 1298
  • Better Geekbench Multi: 11047 vs 3520
  • Bigger battery: 6000 vs 5000 mAh

  • Higher performance (97/100 vs 61/100)
  • Better camera (93/100 vs 51/100)
  • Longer battery life (80/100 vs 52/100)
  • Better display (89/100 vs 73/100)

What makes ZTE Axon 40 better?

  • Better main camera: 64MP vs 50MP
  • Lighter: 200g vs 226g

  • Better portability (53/100 vs 40/100)

Comparison verdict

Comparing the Xiaomi 17 Ultra vs the ZTE Axon 40, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra scores 31 points higher (89/100 vs 58/100). In the "performance" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads (97/100 vs 61/100). In the "camera" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads (93/100 vs 51/100). In the "battery" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads (80/100 vs 52/100). In the "performance" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (97/100 vs 61/100). In the "display" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (89/100 vs 73/100). In the "camera" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (93/100 vs 51/100). In the "battery" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (80/100 vs 52/100). In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 40 is a bit better (53/100 vs 40/100).

Xiaomi 17 Ultra: The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life, budget-conscious buyers.
ZTE Axon 40: The ZTE Axon 40 is a better fit for active users.

Specs comparison

Specification Xiaomi 17 Ultra ZTE Axon 40
Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
AnTuTu 3600724 1010069
Geekbench Single 3639 1298
Geekbench Multi 11047 3520
Display 6.8" LTPO AMOLED 6.7"
Resolution 3200x1440 1080x2400
Refresh rate 120 Hz 120 Hz
Battery 6000 mAh 5000 mAh
Charging 90W —
Wireless charging 50W 0W
DXOMark (camera) 166 —
Main camera 50 MP 64 MP
Ultrawide 50 MP 8 MP
Telephoto 200 MP 0 MP
Front camera 32 MP 44 MP
RAM 12GB / 16GB —
Storage 256GB / 512GB / 1TB 128GB
OS Android 16 Android 12 Snow Cone
Brightness (peak) 3500 nits —
NFC yes yes
Protection IP68 —
Dimensions 162.9×77.6×8.3 mm 163.4×75.9×8.6 mm
Weight 226 g 200 g
Launch price $999 —

Camera comparison

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

  • Main: 50MP f/1.63
  • Ultrawide: 50MP
  • Telephoto: 200MP
  • Front: 32MP
93
camera

ZTE Axon 40

  • Main: 64MP
  • Ultrawide: 8MP
  • Front: 44MP
51
camera

Display comparison

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

  • 6.8" LTPO AMOLED
  • Resolution: 3200x1440
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
89
display

ZTE Axon 40

  • 6.7"
  • Resolution: 1080x2400
  • Refresh rate: 120 Hz
73
display

Battery and charging

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

  • 6000 mAh
  • NanoReview test: web browsing 16:09 hrs, total 33:23 hrs
  • Wired: 90W
  • Wireless: 50W
80
battery

ZTE Axon 40

  • 5000 mAh
  • No wireless charging
52
battery

Overall performance score

We compared Xiaomi 17 Ultra and ZTE Axon 40, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.

Xiaomi 17 Ultra Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
89/100
3600724 AnTuTu
ZTE Axon 40 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
58/100 -256.5%
1010069 AnTuTu

Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads ZTE Axon 40 by 256.5% in our overall performance rating.

Benchmarks

Launch prices and where to check today's

Xiaomi 17 Ultra

$999

ZTE Axon 40

Price unknown

Detailed category analysis

performance

In the "performance" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (97/100 vs 61/100).

display

In the "display" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (89/100 vs 73/100).

camera

In the "camera" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (93/100 vs 51/100).

battery

In the "battery" category, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra notably outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 (80/100 vs 52/100).

portability

In the "portability" category, the ZTE Axon 40 is a bit better (53/100 vs 40/100).

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra significantly outperforms the ZTE Axon 40 by 31 points (89/100 vs 58/100).

What is the rating of the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and the ZTE Axon 40?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has a MobileRank rating of 89/100, the ZTE Axon 40 — 58/100.

Which has the better camera: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads on camera score (93/100 vs 51/100).

Which is more powerful: the Xiaomi 17 Ultra or the ZTE Axon 40?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra leads on performance (97/100 vs 61/100).

Should you choose the Xiaomi 17 Ultra over the ZTE Axon 40?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is a better fit for gamers and power users, mobile photography enthusiasts, those who care about battery life, budget-conscious buyers. The ZTE Axon 40 is a better fit for active users.