The iPad Pro was finally unveiled at an Apple event on the 9th of September, following weeks of speculation about the American tech company’s plan to unwrap a large tablet. The new device, which is designed to offer users the benefits of both a tablet and laptop, appears aimed at competing most especially with Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3. How does the two power tablets compare? Let’s have a look.
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The Design
Apple iPad Pro flaunts the same detachable design seen in Microsoft Surface Pro 3. You can use the two as a tablet or as a portable laptop with a keyboard cover attached.
The two devices show off durable construction that makes them perfect for both work and play. The iPad Pro is thinner and lighter than its rival being just 6.9 mm thick and 713 g heavy, compared to the Surface Pro 3’s 9.1 mm thickness and 800 g weight.
The two tablets are almost completely identical in terms of design. Also similar is the fact that you have to buy the keyboard accessory separately.
The Display
The iPad Pro offers users a larger screen estate with a 12.9-inch diagonal display, compared to the 12-incher on its rival. If you thought the Surface Pro 3 offered stunning viewing experience with its 1440p screen (or 216ppi), you should check out the Apple slate which is fitted with a Retina display having a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels for an impressive pixel density of about 265 ppi.
Both tablets offer 10-point multi-touch displays with stylus pen support. The iPad Pro stylus (Apple Pencil) promises enhanced accuracy to allow you write as if you are doing so on a physical sheet of paper, while also letting you access software features more easily.
The stylus pen of the Surface Pro 3 called the Surface Pen is also well integrated to the tablet.
Camera and Storage
Personal preference, in terms of cameras, will determine which of these two devices is more appropriate for you. If you are a selfie addict and would love to use your tablet for that purpose, Microsoft Surface Pro 3 may be the better option for you with its combo of 5-megapixel cameras.
Apple iPad Pro may be ideal if you are not into selfies that much with its 8-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera and 1.2-megapixel selfie snapper.
While Microsoft’s professional-focused tablet comes in many storage configurations from 64 GB to 512 GB, its rival is available in just 32GB and 128GB models. The Surface Pro 3 clearly wins the storage battle when you consider the greater options available.
The Hardware
Apple iPad Pro is driven by a third-generation and most advanced 64-bit chip from its maker to date – the A9X chip. This chip is said to deliver speeds up to 1.8 times faster than its predecessor, the A8X, used on the iPad Air 2.
By comparison, however, the Surface Pro 3 is equipped with Intel Core i3, Core i5 or Core i7 processor, giving users the quality of performance you would expect on any laptop with such.
The Surface tablet has 4 GB of RAM, but it is not clear how much RAM will be available on the iPad. So, in terms of performance, the Surface Pro 3 may have more potential.
Operating System
Latest iOS 9 operating system powers the iPad Pro. But the decision to go with an OS found on mobile devices such as iPhones, instead of Mac OS X, sort of limits the level of performance to expect in laptop mode.
On the other hand, the Surface Pro 3 runs on full featured Windows operating system – either Windows 8.1 or the latest Windows 10 – to offer the level of performance you’d expect on a laptop.
Other Features
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 comes with a microSD card slot for memory expansion, giving it an edge over its competitor which has no such slot. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are available for wireless connectivity on both slates.
However, the iPad Pro offers optional 4G LTE connectivity. The Apple device is expected to offer up to 10 hours battery life – similar to what the Microsoft tablet offers.
