Apple fanboys don’t want to get anything else other than the iPad Pro, while Microsoft enthusiasts unsurprisingly make a beeline for the Surface Pro 4. But what if you’re not really a diehard fan of either company? What if you’re simply looking for a device that will give you great value for money? Which unit should you choose?
We know these are tough questions to answer, so we’ve created this guide to help you make the right decision and buy the device that best suits your specific needs and preferences. Let’s get started!
Display
The Surface Pro 4 comes with a 12.3-inch screen. This makes it a bit too large to be used as a tablet but just the right size if you want to use it as a laptop. The iPad Pro, on the other hand, comes in two sizes: the 12.9-inch model, which is ideal for computing work, and the 9.7-inch model, which is great if you’d use your device mostly as a tablet.
In terms of resolution, the Surface Pro 4 and the iPad Pro are almost equal. The former is ahead at 267 PPI (pixels per inch), but the latter is just a few steps behind with its 264 PPI resolution.
Hardware
It’s hard to compare the hardware of these two devices because they’re designed for different things. The iPad Pro, which leans toward mobile usage, is powered by the 64-bit Apple A9X chip and the Apple M9 motion co-processor. It has a PowerVR Series 7XT GPU, along with a 2 GB SDRAM for the 9.7-inch model and a 4GB SDRAM for the 12-inch version.
The Surface Pro 4, meanwhile, is geared towards laptop-level work. It’s available in three variants, each of which is built with different 6th-gen Skylake Intel Core processors: the m3-6Y30, the i5-6300U, and the i7-6650U. These models are powered by different graphics cards. The m3 has the Intel HD graphics 515, the i5 has the Intel HD graphics 520, and the i7 has the Intel Iris 540 graphics, and they come with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of RAM.
So what do these specs mean? Basically, they show that the iPad Pro is great for personal use and light work and is ideal for running iOS games. The Surface Pro 4, on the other hand, can tackle heavy tasks, but it’s limited to games that are designed specifically for its GPUs.
Software
The iPad Pro 12.9-inch was released with iOS 9.1 pre-installed in it, while the 9.7-inch model was running on iOS 9.3 when it was rolled out. Both of them now run on iOS 10.2.1, making them some of the fastest and most powerful mobile devices on the market. They can be paired with iOS productivity apps to perform light office work, but they’re not really ideal when it comes to intensive tasks like complicated spreadsheet functions and CAD software.
If you’re planning to focus on these tasks, you’ll want to go for the Surface Pro 4. It’s powered by Windows 10 Pro and can run the latest version of Microsoft Office to give you a complete workstation wherever you go.
Price
Obviously, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro is cheaper because of its size. The 12.9-inch version starts at $799 and can reach up to $1,129 if you’d opt for the 256GB version with WiFi and cellular connectivity. The Surface Pro 4, meanwhile, starts at $799 and can cost up to $2,599 if you’d opt for 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM.
Final Thoughts
The iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 4 might look similar, but they’re geared towards different audiences. Opt for the iPad Pro if you want a two-in-one device that’s great for browsing, gaming, and light office work, and get the Surface Pro 4 if you need an ultra-portable laptop that can handle heavy tasks.
If you go to AMAZON, you will find lots of complaints and one star reviews of the SURFACE for lack of reliability, meaning if yours works properly, it is a great product, but many people report problems. I don’t know how frequent these issues come up, maybe only a few machines among thousands, but I could not help notice. I’m not dissing them, just saying read the reviews.