Which is the TRUE laptop replacement: Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 or Apple's iPad Pro?
We can't count the number of times a big tech firm, and Apple in particular is famous for doing this, has outright said it will "never" do a particular device concept, or the market has no desire or need for a specific size, shape, or theme of device. Apple's done it a few times, and on several occasionas with specific reference to the iPad and iOS - it said it would never do an iPad Mini, it said it wouldn't start merging OSX and iOS, it's said the iPhone screen would stay small, it said there was no need for a pen stylus or a keyboard dock, and it said it would never do a bigger iPad. Looking at all that you'd be forgiven for thinking that if Apple says something isn't going to happen, it's more a case of it saying the timing isn't right, or the market isn't ready, and it's actually only a matter of time until it DOES happen.
Things change in the rapidly advancing tech space faster than most places, but even here, where progression and innovation are the name of the game, some things stay the same. Chief amongst them? Old rivalries. Those things die hard. Microsoft and Apple are two of the tech space's old guard and the rivalry between them is long standing, it's a bit like Ridley Scott's The Duellists, the two go off and do their own thing for a bit, but then come back and have a scrap every now and then.
Microsoft and Apple have been at each other's throats for a long time, but way back when it was the PC vs the Mac (and more recently, actually, remember the "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" ads?). But it's fair to say that for a long time Apple has had Microsoft well and truly on the backfoot when it comes to mobile devices - for Apple, this war was being fought against Google's Android. This situation is turning now though, with the advent of Windows 10, Microsoft is re-entering the arena under new leadership, and with a few new tricks up its sleeve.
It’s the 1980s all over again. But this time Microsoft and Apple are battling it out on a new device front – the prosumer tablet niche. Each has released its respective powerhouse tablets in recent weeks. For Apple, this is the iPad Pro and for Microsoft, the Surface Pro 4. But more than being JUST a tablet, each device also purports to be the only device users need – that’s right, each claims to kill the need for an additional laptop or desktop.
Here’s what KYM’s sister site, Alphr, had to say about the iPad Pro in its full review, which you can read here:
“It is expensive: add it all up and you’re spending more than £800 for the the full set of tablet, Pencil and Smart Keyboard. But despite this, the iPad Pro is not bad value at all. For your money you’re getting a fast, capable laptop running on iOS, and an eye-poppingly good tablet with ear-tingling audio to boot.
“The iPad Pro marks another major inflection point: it ends the whole "iPads are only for consumption" debate. The only people who can't use the iPad Pro as a creation tool are those who need really high-end performance: professional graphic designers, professional video editors, the kind of people for whom 16Gb RAM is table stakes and think nothing of going a lot, lot higher.
“Most people don't fall into that category, and for most people the iPad Pro is more than enough creation tool. For some – anyone who sketches or loves using a stylus – it's actually a better creation tool than the average PC or laptop.”
Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 is arguably in a better position to live up to such bold claims. It runs a full-fat desktop OS in the form of Windows 10, while Apple’s iPad Pro — despite the Pro branding — still runs on the company’s mobile OS, iOS 9. Both feature keyboards and stylus-support, but they also differ in quite a few other ways — the Surface is very much a PC for a post-PC world, while the iPad Pro looks to build on what users are already doing with tablets just in a more professional environment. Apple wants people editing videos and images on the iPad Pro and has been very vocal in its dissent for Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4. Tim Cook has even been on TV bashing the Surface Pro 4, claiming Microsoft is trying TOO HARD… whatever that means. This is kind of weird though, considering Apple has borrowed not one, not two BUT three key features from Microsoft’s Surface and its Windows software — the keyboard, the stylus AND the split screen mode in Windows 10. Guess Mr. Cook is feeling a little insecure about his BIG iPad?
But does that claim bear out in real life? And just how do the two tablet hybrids compare against each other? Let’s take a look.
iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Design and Specs
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
- Display: 12.3-inch 2736 x 1824 pixel at 267 pixels per inch
- Storage: 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB
- Processors: Intel Skylake Core M3, Core i5, or Core i7
- RAM: 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB
- OS: Windows 10 Pro
- Cameras: 8MP front, 5MP rear
- Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, microsSD
- Size: 292 mm x 201 mm x 8.45
- Weight: 786 grams
iPad Pro
- Display: 12.9-inch 2732×2048 pixel at 264 pixels per inch
- Storage: 32 and 128GB
- Processors: 64-bit A9X and M9
- RAM: 4GB
- OS: iOS 9.1
- Cameras: front 1.2MP 720p HD camera and a rear 8MP 1080p HD camera
- Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, optional 4G
- Size: 305 mm × 220 mm × 7 mm
- Weight: 710 grams
Look, I’m going to be honest from the get go and say I’m a HUGE Apple fan. I think the iPhone and the Mac are some of the best computing devices you can buy. That being said, from a quick rundown of the specs alone it really does look like the Surface Pro 4 handily beats the iPad Pro if you are looking for a tablet/hybrid device that will allow you to do away with carrying around a separate laptop.
The biggest difference between the two is that the Surface Pro 4 comes in many more options than the iPad Pro. The iPad Pro essentially gives you three options: one 32GB sized model and two 128GB sized models (one without 4G and one with). All three models have 4GB of RAM and the same A9X chip (although that is supposed to be INSANELY fast).
But the Surface Pro 4, on the other hand offers three chip options (a relatively weak Intel Skylake Core M3 or Core i5, and a much more powerful Core i7). The Surface gives you the option of an insane amount of storage to: 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB. And RAM? You’ve got the option of 4GB, 8GB, or a crazy 16GB.
The Surface Pro also gives you plenty of more ports including a full sized USB 3.0 port and a microSD card slot. However, the downside is that what the Surface doesn’t give you is a cellular connection–yep, there’s still no 4G option. But still this is hardly a deal-breaker. My Chromebook doesn't have one either and that's never really bothered me.
Finally, on the camera front, both the iPad Pro and Surface Pro 4 have 8MP rear cameras, but the Surface Pro also offer a 5MP front camera where the iPad Pro only gives you 1.2MP. I also generally prefer the overall look, feel and design of the Surface Pro. It feels like a machine you can get stuff done on -- mostly because it is just that. The iPad Pro, conversely, looks and feels like, well... a big iPad.
iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Display
The display of the iPad Pro is physically larger at 12.9-inches, compared to the Surface Pro’s 12.3-inches. Both come in at a similar pixel density of 264 and 267 ppi, respectively. But the iPad Pro has a slightly higher resolution at 2732×2048 pixels versus the Surface Pro’s 2736 x 1824. Overall there's not a lot in it, but you could argue the Surface is a bit more portable, while the iPad Pro has that bigger, ever-so-slightly sharper display for presenting things to people. Swings and roundabouts.
Personally speaking, I find the size and gait of the Surface Pro 4 infinitely preferable. I don’t need to buy a new satchel to fit it inside, I like the familiar, laptop-style format and it has an array of ports for connecting it to things like external monitors and other accessories. Mostly, though, the Surface Pro 4 is a machine I can do work on — it looks, feels and performs in a manner I am used to. The iPad, for me, has always been about consuming media, not creating it. I know Apple wants to change this with the iPad Pro but I just can’t see how that will happen while it is still running iOS?
iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: OS
This is another area where–if you are comparing the iPad Pro and Surface Pro as hybrid “we don’t need no laptops anymore” devices–then the Surface Pro wins hands down. That’s because it runs Windows 10, a full desktop OS along with desktop-class apps. The iPad Pro runs iOS 9–while there’s a lot of apps for that, it doesn’t compare to being able to run a full desktop OS like Windows 10 or OS X on the Mac.
iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Accessory Support
Again, we're looking at these two devices as laptop replacements–and again the Surface Pro wins here. That’s because it supports an insane amount of accessories. The iPad Pro works with Apple’s new Pencil Stylus and Smart Keyboard Cover (both will cost you extra), but that’s it.
"Apple Pencil has two emitters in the tip that enable the iPad Pro to determine the pencil nib's angle and orientation relative to the display, and adjust the pen stroke according to iFixit. iPad Pro has a digitizer that likely determines the distance from each emitter to the screen," reports Mac Rumors. "At the core of the Apple Pencil is a tiny 0.329 Wh lithium-ion rechargeable battery that holds just 5% of the charge of an iPhone 6s battery, next to a small cylindrical black and gold antenna. There is also a small ribbon cable that connects the Apple Pencil's battery with its Lightning connector for charging."
On the subject of specs, the report said: "On the other side of the battery is the Apple Pencil's tiny folded logic board that weighs just one gram, yet houses more than five components, including an ST Microelectronics low-power 32-bit ARM-based Cortex-M3 microcontroller and Qualcomm Bluetooth 4.1 chip from Cambridge Silicon Radio."
The Surface Pro includes the stylus when you buy it and also offers an optional keyboard cover. However, it’s keyboard cover also features a glass trackpad–meaning you can use the Surface as you can a laptop, that is: how you’re used to. The Surface Pro also supports mice (just plug it into the USB port or connect via Bluetooth).
iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Price & Verdict
As a laptop or desktop replacement, the Surface Pro 4 blows away the iPad Pro. It is a TRUE laptop replacement because it runs a desktop class OS and apps and offers a wide range of accessories and ports.
On the flipside, if you opt for a Surface Pro 4 over an iPad Pro you’re going to be paying for it. But given the aforementioned benefits and the fact that the iPad Pro is a first generation device -- and Apple's first generation devices are never the one you want to opt for -- then this should not be a dealbreaker for you.
The iPad Pro costs £679 for the 32GB Wi-Fi model, £799 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, and £899 for the 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. That's without the keyboard and pen though, add those on top and you're looking at just over a grand all-in.
The Surface Pro ranges from £740 for the relatively weak entry level model (128GB, Intel Core m3, 4GB RAM) all the way up to £1799 for the top of the line model (512GB, Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM). For that amount of money, the Surface better be both a true top of the line tablet and also a laptop replacement.
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