Head to head

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max vs ZTE nubia A57

Full specification and price comparison for Pakistan, updated 27 Sep 2026.

The short answer

The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is the stronger phone of the two, scoring 82 against 48 on our combined specification score. It leads on performance, camera and battery & charging. The ZTE nubia A57 still wins on value for money, so it remains the better choice if that is your priority. The ZTE nubia A57 is the cheaper of the two at PKR 36,499 against PKR 459,999.

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The verdict

Spec-derived

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max takes it by 34 points on our weighted spec score.

Performance Xiaomi 18 Pro Max leads

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

Camera Xiaomi 18 Pro Max leads

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

Battery & charging Xiaomi 18 Pro Max leads

Cell capacity in mAh weighted with rated wired charging output.

Display Xiaomi 18 Pro Max leads

Pixel density, refresh rate and panel technology.

Memory & storage Xiaomi 18 Pro Max leads

Highest advertised RAM and internal storage configuration.

Value for money ZTE nubia A57 leads

Combined spec score divided by current Pakistani retail price.

What actually differs

  • ZTE nubia A57 costs PKR 423,500 less.
  • Xiaomi 18 Pro Max packs a 3,500 mAh larger battery.
  • Xiaomi 18 Pro Max charges 77.5W faster.
  • Xiaomi 18 Pro Max offers 12 GB more RAM.
  • Xiaomi 18 Pro Max ships with 896 GB more storage.
  • Xiaomi 18 Pro Max has a 187 MP higher-resolution main sensor.
  • Xiaomi 18 Pro Max uses an OLED panel while the other sticks with LCD.

Buy the Xiaomi 18 Pro Max if…

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

Buy the ZTE nubia A57 if…

you care most about value for money.

Full specification comparison

Specification Xiaomi 18 Pro Max ZTE nubia A57
Price in Pakistan
Retail price PKR 459,999 PKR 36,499 Cheaper
Design & build
Release date September 23, 2026 July 30, 2026
Dimensions 163.4 × 77.6 × 8.4 mm 160.1 × 70.4 × 8.0 mm
Weight 235 g or 240 g 193 g Better
Water resistance IP68 dust and water resistance. IP64 — dust-tight and protected against water splashes
Display
Screen size 6.9 inches Better 6.75-inch
Resolution 1208 × 2624 pixels Better 720 × 1570 pixels
Panel type LTPO AMOLED, 68 billion colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR Vivid IPS LCD, 120Hz refresh rate
Protection Xiaomi Dragon Crystal Glass 3 Unspecified.
Performance
Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2nm) Unisoc T7250 (12 nm)
CPU Octa-core (1×5.0 GHz + 3×4.6 GHz + 4×3.8 GHz), Octa-core
GPU Adreno GPU Mali-G57 MP1
Operating system Android 16 with HyperOS 3 Android 16
Memory & storage
RAM 12GB /16GB Better 4GB
Internal storage 256GB / 512GB / 1TB (possible top variant) Better 64GB/128GB
Card slot No Dedicated microSDXC Slot
Camera
Main camera Triple 200 MP + 200 MP + 50 MP — 200 MP wide (f/1.7, OIS, PDAF) + 200 MP periscope telephoto (f/2.4, OIS, 3.2x optical zoom) + 50 MP ultrawide (f/2.4, 102°). Leica optics, laser autofocus, color spectrum sensor, Dual-LED dual-tone flash. Better 13 MP, LED flash, HDR, panorama
Selfie camera 50 MP, f/2.2, 21mm (wide), 1/2.88" sensor, PDAF, HDR, panorama. Better 8 MP, f/2.0
Video recording 8K@30fps; 4K@30/60/120fps with HDR10+, Dolby Vision HDR and 10-bit LOG; 1080p@30/60/120/240/960fps; 720p@1920fps; gyro-EIS. Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, HDR10+, gyro-EIS. 1080p@30fps (rear), 1080p@30fps (front)
Battery & charging
Battery capacity Si/C Li-Ion (Silicon-Carbon) non-removable battery 8500 mAh Better Li-Ion (non-removable) 5000 mAh
Wired charging 100W wired, 50W wireless, 27W reverse wireless charging Better 22.5W wired fast charging
Connectivity & extras
SIM Dual Nano-SIM Dual Nano-SIM, Dual Standby
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6E/7, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 6.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC 5 5.2, A2DP, LE
NFC Yes No
Sensors Fingerprint (ultrasonic, under-display), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, color spectrum sensor, UWB. Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass
USB USB Type-C 3.2, OTG, DisplayPort 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, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max or ZTE nubia A57?

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max comes out ahead on our combined spec score, leading by 34 points. It wins on performance, camera, battery & charging, display and memory & storage. ZTE nubia A57 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 Xiaomi 18 Pro Max and ZTE nubia A57 in Pakistan?

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is listed at PKR 459,999 and ZTE nubia A57 at PKR 36,499. That makes ZTE nubia A57 cheaper by PKR 423,500. Retail prices move often, so treat these as indicative.

Which has the better camera, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max or ZTE nubia A57?

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max scores higher in our camera assessment. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max uses a 200 MP main sensor against 13 MP on ZTE nubia A57, though sensor size and processing matter more than resolution alone.

Which phone has the better battery, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max or ZTE nubia A57?

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max leads on battery. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max carries a 8500 mAh cell and ZTE nubia A57 a 5000 mAh cell, with 100W and 22W wired charging respectively.

Which is better for gaming, Xiaomi 18 Pro Max or ZTE nubia A57?

Xiaomi 18 Pro Max is the stronger gaming phone here. Xiaomi 18 Pro Max runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 (2nm) while ZTE nubia A57 runs the Unisoc T7250 (12 nm).

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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.