What to buy: iPad Pro or Surface Pro 4?

If you’ve been thinking about purchasing a new tablet, you will have two powerful options in the next few months. On October 26, Microsoft will release their Surface Pro 4, and Apple is rumored to be launching their iPad Pro in November. So how do these two options match up? And what’s right for you? Let’s break down the features of these two new tablets and compare them side by side.

Measurements and weight

When it comes to physical measurements, there is little difference between the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4. The Surface weighs in at anywhere from 1.69 lbs to 1.73 lbs depending on which version you get, while the iPad Pro weighs slightly less, coming in at 1.57 to 1.59 lbs.

The iPad Pro is also slightly thinner, at 0.27 inches compared to the Surface’s 0.33 inches. So at first glance, you may think that iPad has a slight edge in the measurements department, but the Surface makes up for its slightly bulkier size with a wide array of ports that include a microSD card reader, 3.5mm headset jack, mini DisplayPort, Type Cover port, and a USB 3.0 port. As for the iPad Pro, it lacks all of these and instead comes with only a Lightning port.

Display

As with the measurements (minus the ports), there is no extreme difference in display between the two tablets. The Surface Pro 4 has a 12.3 inch touchscreen with a resolution of 2,736 x 1,824 pixels, versus the iPad Pro’s 12.9 inch touchscreen of 2732 x 2048 pixels.

Keyboard

Both the Surface Pro 4 and the iPad Pro come with an attachable full-size keyboard. And the one key difference here is that Microsoft’s version comes with a trackpad, while the iPad Pro’s does not. For the iPad Pro you will instead have to use your finger as a cursor to navigate the touchscreen – which system is best will depend on your preferences.

Operating systems

This is where the big difference between these two lies. While the iPad Pro operates on iOS 9, the Surface Pro runs Windows 10. Because of this, Surface Pro has a lot more versatility and power than iPad Pro. It has the ability to run full blown desktop applications like Photoshop or Lightroom, while iPad Pro isn’t capable of this. However, for iOS lovers, iOS 9 provides new features such as improved multi-tasking and split screen.

Price

Here’s the breakdown of the price difference between the two tablets.

iPad Pro

• $799 – 32GB
• $949 – 128GB
• $1079 – 128GB + LTE cellular radio

Surface Pro 4

• $899 – 128GB (most affordable version)
• $2,699 – 1TB + Intel Core i7 + 16GB of RAM (highest-priced version)
• Prices range anywhere in-between, depending on storage, RAM, and processor options

Conclusion

It really depends on what you’re looking for. The Surface Pro 4 is more of a PC that looks like a tablet, while the iPad Pro is essentially a tablet. The operating system is the key difference that separates the two. If you want a tablet that runs like a full-blown computer, go with the Surface Pro 4. However, if you’re an Apple fan, the iPad Pro now provides you a larger screen than its predecessors, as well as more versatility and the option of a keyboard.

Still unsure which tablet is right for you? Need help with your current iPad? Call us today.