Gabriel ManceauSmartphone SpecialistOctober 22, 2021 at 12:43 p.m.

Apple and Xiaomi are today the most serious competitors to Samsung to become market leader in mobile telephony. The iPhone 13 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra are the smartphones that have the difficult task of demonstrating all the technological know-how of each manufacturer and impressing users with it. A duel that promises to be tight between the American giant and the Chinese giant. Let's not waste any more time, it's duel time!

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Apple iPhone 13 Pro

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Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra

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If Apple's iPhones have always enjoyed a "premium" brand image, this is not the case with Xiaomi, which is best known for its phones with excellent value for money. The behemoth of the Middle Kingdom wants to show with its Mi 11 Ultra that it is able to design ultra high-end products that have nothing to envy the competition. Given the quality of the product, the message got through.

Summary

Design: questionable aesthetic choices

The iPhone 13 Pro on the left, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra on the right. © Pierre Crochart for Clubic

Both smartphones use materials worthy of very high-end products, such as glass and aluminum. The products breathe solidity, reliability, and we can only bow to the level of finish of the iPhone 13 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. Like any good mobile sold over 1000 euros, the two devices are resistant to water and dust thanks to their IP68 certification.

Let's now tackle the front of the phone. On this point, there is not really a match. Xiaomi's smartphone impresses with its extremely thin screen borders and its very discreet punch in the upper right corner of the phone. For its part, the iPhone 13 Pro still displays very visible black borders and especially the famous notch so decried. The latter may have its usefulness insofar as it allows the integration of Face ID technology, it is nonetheless unattractive when compared to what the competition offers.

The iPhone 13 Pro on the left, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra on the right. © Pierre Crochart for Clubic

When you look at the two devices from behind, it's a different story. On the left, Apple has chosen to integrate its three photo sensors into a square module. Everything obviously comes out of the hull, but that's nothing compared to its competitor of the day...

Indeed, the photo block of the Mi 11 Ultra occupies almost the entire width of the phone and comes out even more widely from the shell (3 mm). This is of course explained by imposing photo sensors, but also by its second screen located on the right side of the block. The latter allows you to display notifications, the time, the battery level, but can also be used as a mirror to take selfies with the rear camera.

Once in hand, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is much larger than the iPhone 13 Pro. This is explained by the large diagonal of 6.7 inches of the Chinese phone which is much closer to that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max. With its 234 grams on the scale, Xiaomi's phone is not easily forgotten in your pocket. You have been warned.

Winner: tied

The Mi 11 Ultra had everything to win this round, but that's without counting on its massive photo block which spoils the hitherto impeccable design of the phone on the front. A questionable choice which is explained by the photographic qualities of the mobile that we will have the opportunity to mention. For its part, the iPhone still drags its unsightly notch on the front.

Interface: like a deja vu

iOS 15 on the left, Android 11 + MIUI 12 on the right.

Like any good self-respecting high-end smartphone, the iPhone 13 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra benefit from the latest version of their respective interfaces: iOS 15 and Android 11. The latest version of Apple's OS puts the Emphasis on practical features such as concentration mode which allows you to set several scenarios to avoid interruptions and distractions during your work, for example. We also note the arrival of extensions on Safari that can be downloaded from the App Store.

As always with Apple, its smartphones benefit from at least 5 years of software updates. An undeniable asset to keep your phone longer and limit planned obsolescence. For its part, Xiaomi promises 3 years of Android updates and 4 years of security patches for its most high-end models.

The Mi 11 Ultra integrates Xiaomi's MIUI software overlay into Android 11. Extremely complete and customizable, it is able to do everything you ask of a modern interface. Gesture navigation is included, as is full dark mode or multiple image enhancement options. Rounded icons through the center of notifications and settings, MIUI does not really hide its direct inspiration from iOS. We regret the still too large presence of partner applications installed by default (eBay, Amazon, TikTok, etc.). Fortunately, it is possible to uninstall them.

It is possible to customize the display of the second screen of the Mi 11 Ultra.

The second screen integrated into the photo module of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is customizable from the interface. It is possible to display the time, notifications, but also a personalized message in the color and size of your choice. It can also be used as a "mirror" to take your picture with the main sensor. A practical option, but a little gimmicky.

Winner: iPhone 13 Pro

We don't like having to choose between two parishes, but iOS's simplicity, functionality and extensive software tracking give it a leg up on Xiaomi's Android + MIUI interface. The latter is also very complete and customizable, but is clearly inspired by the interface of its competitor of the day, without ever completely equaling it.

Performance: it's hot!

Benchmarks of the iPhone 13 Pro on the left, of the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra on the right.

The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is equipped with the Snapdragon 888 processor and 12 GB of RAM. For its part, the iPhone 13 Pro has an in-house processor from Apple, the A15 Bionic accompanied by 6 GB of RAM. In both cases, these high-end SoCs impress with their performance, in common tasks as well as in games. Both phones offer a seamless multitasking experience with the ability to have many apps running in the background and come back to them instantly.

In the benchmarks, it is the iPhone 13 Pro which takes the lead over its competitor of the day. Whether on Geekbench or AnTuTu, the A15 Bionic chip does better than the most powerful Qualcomm processor at the moment. Raw power is good, energy optimization is better. In this little game, Apple once again seems to have a head start. This is verified in two ways.

The Mi 11 Ultra heats up on Genshin Impact. © Pierre Crochart for Clubic

The first concerns the impact of such power on the battery (we will come back to this). The second comes from the heat generated during a particularly intense gaming session. In this little game, the iPhone 13 Pro does not flinch by running the very greedy "Genshin Impact" at 60 frames per second with a high level of detail for about twenty minutes. Under the same conditions, the Mi 11 Ultra heats up way too much. So much so that we voluntarily interrupted our gaming session during the test to preserve the smartphone.

Having a powerful phone is also the assurance of being able to use it for a long time. Whatever phone you choose, it will be able to perform 99% of the tasks you will ask of it for several years. If Apple promises 5 years of software updates, it is because the company is confident in its ability to run its future versions of the OS on its in-house processors.

Winner: iPhone 13 Pro

Both smartphones are extremely powerful and capable of running anything you can throw at them. However, the raw power of the iPhone 13 Pro is superior, as is its heat dissipation. This allows it to be used intensively without overheating, as is unfortunately the case with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.

Photo: top of the basket

Wide-angle with the iPhone 13 Pro on the left, with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra on the right.

We are in the presence of two of the best smartphones for taking photos and videos. The iPhone 13 Pro is equipped with three 12-megapixel photo sensors: a wide-angle (f / 1.5), an ultra-wide-angle (f / 1.8) and a telephoto (f / 2.8) . The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra is also equipped with three photo sensors: a wide-angle 50 megapixel camera with an impressive size of 1/1.12 (almost as big as that of a compact camera) with f/2.0 aperture, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle (f/2.2) and a 48-megapixel f/2.2 telephoto lens.

The larger aperture of the iPhone 13 Pro's wide-angle sensor takes brighter shots than Xiaomi's. The result is flattering to the eye, but loses a little in dynamics and accuracy of exposure. On the night shots, it is also played neck and neck between the two phones. On the other hand, the Mi 11 Ultra takes advantage of the zoom thanks to its telephoto lens which allows you to zoom up to x5 without loss, against x3 with the iPhone 13 Pro. The front camera of the iPhone also takes the upper hand by filming in 4K and restoring the flaws and tone of the skin in a very natural way. The Mi 11 Ultra tends to be a bit more face-smooth and is limited to 720p.

Wide-angle with the iPhone 13 Pro on the left, with the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra on the right.

On the video side, the iPhone can shoot up to 4K at 60 frames per second. Xiaomi's phone goes up to 8K at 24 frames per second. Both offer excellent stabilization, but the iPhone 13 Pro does a little better with exposure and autofocus. Impossible to talk about video without mentioning the new "kinematic mode" of the iPhone which can be roughly described as portrait mode in video. The latter applies a nice background blur to videos, but is imperfect. Fortunately, it is possible to edit the videos after capturing them.

As always, we invite you to consult our complete tests of the iPhone 13 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra to get a more precise idea of ​​the photographic capacities (but not only) of the two smartphones.

Winner: tied

It's not easy to choose between two smartphones that offer this level of photo quality. Some will prefer the software processing of one or the other. Others will place more importance on the quality of the zoom. Finally, some will swear by the video quality.

Autonomy: a significant gap

Autonomy of the iPhone 13 Pro on the left, of the Xiami Mi 11 Ultra on the right.

The two mobiles are very powerful and both benefit from superb screens with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. So many elements that make us fear a lackluster autonomy. Finally, only one of the two smartphones disappoints with its autonomy: the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra. To understand why, let's look at the type of panel used on the two phones.

The iPhone 13 Pro is equipped with an LTPO panel. This technology makes it possible to adjust the refresh rate of the screen according to usage. If you scroll quickly through a web page, the screen will have a refresh rate of 120 Hz. On the other hand, if you watch a video, the screen will rotate at 24 or 30 Hz. The whole thing can go down to 10 Hz when the element displayed on screen is static. Since Xiaomi's phone does not have this technology, the panel is "blocked" at 120 Hz, which consumes much more energy. It is of course possible to use the 60 Hz mode, which makes the experience less comfortable.

Add to that the more efficient processor of the iPhone 13 Pro, and you have a phone that is more enduring than its competitor, despite its smaller battery of 3095 mAh, compared to 5000 mAh on the Mi 11 Ultra. Concretely, this translates into a day and a half of autonomy for the Apple phone, and a short day for the Xiaomi phone.

On the other hand, the Mi 11 Ultra recharges very quickly thanks to its 67W block supplied in the box. This allows it to go from 0 to 80% autonomy in just 30 minutes. Allow 50 minutes for a full charge. For its part, the iPhone 13 Pro is only compatible with 20W charging and no charger is provided in the box. It will take 1h30 to fully recharge it.

Winner: iPhone 13 Pro

The iPhone 13 Pro certainly takes much longer to charge than the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, but its approximately 50% longer battery life makes it much more comfortable to use on a daily basis, without worrying about running out of batteries or having to compromise on display quality.

Conclusion

It's already the end of this duel at the top and we have to face the facts, the iPhone 13 Pro wins in the majority of the categories we tested. The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra has nothing to be ashamed of, especially in terms of photography. Regarding the design, it will be necessary to choose between a notch on the front face, or a huge photo module on the back of the phone.

Don't make us say what we didn't say: the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra remains an excellent smartphone on almost all points, with the possible exception of its autonomy which really left us hungry. If you are ready to overcome this defect and you do not plan to switch to iOS, the Mi 11 Ultra remains one of the best high-end smartphones of the moment.

What we think about it at Clubic

The versus is a cruel exercise that forces you to decide between two very close phones. It is true that Apple has hit very hard this year with its iPhone 13 Pro. But Xiaomi should come back even stronger in the first half of 2022 with a very likely "Xiaomi 12 Ultra" that will push the limits of what a smartphone can offer a little more.

Gabriel Manceau

Smartphone specialist

Smartphone specialist

Journalist. Minimalist. Optimistic. I watch new technologies closely without letting myself be hypnotized. Eternal student and modern Viking.

Read other articles

Journalist. Minimalist. Optimistic. I watch new technologies closely without letting myself be hypnotized. Eternal student and modern Viking.

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