Head to head

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max

Full specification and price comparison for Pakistan, updated 12 Aug 2026.

The short answer

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 86 against 81 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, camera and battery & charging. The Huawei nova 16 SE still wins on value for money, so it remains the better choice if that is your priority. The Huawei nova 16 SE is the cheaper of the two at PKR 127,999 against PKR 174,999.

View raw data
Add another phone to this comparison

Up to 4 devices can share one comparison table.

The verdict

Spec-derived

Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max takes it by 5.1 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max leads

Gaming score where available, otherwise chipset tier plus usable RAM.

Camera Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max leads

Camera Score where available, otherwise sensor resolution and lens count. Megapixels alone do not measure image quality.

Battery & charging Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max leads

Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.

Display Level

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max leads

Highest advertised RAM and internal storage configuration.

Value for money Huawei nova 16 SE leads

Combined spec score divided by current Pakistani retail price.

What actually differs

  • Huawei nova 16 SE costs PKR 47,000 less.
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max packs a 710 mAh larger battery.
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max charges 34W faster.
  • Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max offers 4 GB more RAM.

Buy the Huawei nova 16 SE if…

you care most about value for money.

Buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max if…

you care most about performance, camera, battery & charging and memory & storage.

Full specification comparison

Specification Huawei nova 16 SE Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 127,999 Cheaper PKR 174,999
Design & build
Release date August 5, 2026 — China Expected in 2026
Dimensions Not officially confirmed 163.4 × 78.3 × 8.6 mm
Weight 229 g Better Approximately 229.5 g
Water resistance IP65 (reported) IP68-rated protection; exact Xiaomi test conditions to be confirmed
Display
Screen size 6.84 inches Better 6.83 inches
Resolution 1276 × 2776 pixels 1280 × 2772 pixels Better
Panel type LTPS OLED 120Hz Up to 8,000 nits (reported) AMOLED
Protection Kunlun Glass Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Performance
Chipset Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) MediaTek Dimensity 7500 — reported
CPU Octa-core 1 × high-performance core + 3 × performance cores + 4 × efficiency cores Octa-core
GPU Huawei Maleoon Mali GPU
Operating system HarmonyOS 6.1 Android 16 HyperOS 3
Memory & storage
RAM 8GB 8GB / 12GB Better
Internal storage 128GB / 256GB / 512GB 256GB / 512GB UFS
Card slot No Dedicated microSDXC Slot
Camera
Main camera 50 MP f/1.9 RYYB, reported Huawei Red Maple multispectral sensor LED flash, HDR, panorama, AI photography 50MP + 8MP — reported OIS, PDAF, HDR, Panorama, LED Flash
Selfie camera 32 MP f/2.2 HDR, AI photography 32MP
Video recording Up to 4K@30fps, reported Up to 4K — reported
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Li-Ion (non-removable) 8,500 mAh Si/C Li-Ion (Silicon-Carbon) Battery 9210 mAh Non-removable Better
Wired charging 66W fast charging, reported 100W wired fast charging Reverse Charging 22.5W wired Better
Connectivity & extras
SIM Dual Nano-SIM Dual Nano-SIM
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 7 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual-band
Bluetooth Bluetooth 6.0 5.4
NFC Yes Yes
Sensors Fingerprint Side-mounted Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Ambient Light Compass Color Spectrum / Multispectral Sensor Fingerprint Sensor Under-display Accelerometer Gyroscope Proximity Sensor Compass Ambient Light Sensor
USB USB Type-C OTG USB Type-C OTG

“Better” marks the higher (or, for price and weight, the lower) figure. It is a specification difference, not a judgement about real-world experience.

Questions people ask

Which is better, Huawei nova 16 SE or Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 5.1 points. It wins on performance, camera, battery & charging and memory & storage. Huawei nova 16 SE can still be the better buy if your priorities sit elsewhere or if you find it at a lower street price.

What is the price of Huawei nova 16 SE and Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max in Pakistan?

Huawei nova 16 SE is listed at PKR 127,999 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max at PKR 174,999. That makes Huawei nova 16 SE cheaper by PKR 47,000. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Huawei nova 16 SE or Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max scores higher in our camera assessment. Both use comparable main sensors, so day to day results come down to processing.

Which phone has the better battery, Huawei nova 16 SE or Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max leads on battery. Huawei nova 16 SE carries a 8500 mAh cell and Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max a 9210 mAh cell, with 66W and 100W wired charging respectively.

Which is better for gaming, Huawei nova 16 SE or Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max?

Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max is the stronger gaming phone here. Huawei nova 16 SE runs the Huawei Kirin 8020 (7nm) while Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max runs the MediaTek Dimensity 7500 — reported.

Related comparisons

Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max vs Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max vs Tecno Camon 30 5G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Camon 40 Pro 4G Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max vs Tecno Camon 40 Pro 4G Huawei nova 16 SE vs Tecno Spark 50 5G Xiaomi Redmi Note 17 Pro Max vs Tecno Spark 50 5G

Tools that use this data

Camera Score Tool Battery Score Tool Gaming Performance Checker AI Mobile Recommendation Tool All comparisons

Scores are calculated from the published hardware specification of each device using the same formula for every phone on WhatMobilePK — they are not paid placements and they are not laboratory test results. Prices are indicative Pakistani retail prices and change frequently.