Apple iPad Pro 12.9-Inch 2017 vs New Microsoft Surface Pro Comparison: What Can You Get for $799?
Apple recently unveiled the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and its price starts at $799, just like the new Surface Pro from Microsoft. However, what can people get from the said devices at the same price?
$799 Apple Tablet
At its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, Apple introduced the newest iPad Pro. And as expected, it was built with several major upgrades from the first iPad Pro release.
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However, the fact remains that it is mainly marketed as a tablet, thus it is built like one. For example, unlike the Surface Pro, it is powered by Apple's latest chip for mobile devices — the A10X Fusion.
The A10X Fusion is promised to bring major performance improvement to the iPad Pro. As Apple presented it: "The powerful new 64-bit A10X Fusion chip provides performance that is faster than most PC laptops ... tackling complex tasks like editing photos and 4K video, rendering 3D images or playing games feels effortless. A six-core CPU and 12-core GPU deliver up to 30 percent faster CPU performance and 40 percent faster graphics performance."
Because of the A10X Fusion, the iPad Pro is believed to deliver a longer battery life of "up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi‐Fi, watching video, or listening to music." Depending on how people view it, having the A10X Fusion chip across all variants of the iPad Pro 2017 release can either be a good thing or a letdown.
Another major overhaul done on iPad Pros this year involve their camera setup. All models are equipped with a pair of 12-megapixel and 7 MP cameras on the rear and for selfies, respectively. The main shooter has also been upgraded to let users record videos in 4K quality.
Apart from the A10X Fusion chip, people can get a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 64 GB storage and Wi-Fi only connectivity for the $799 price tag. Those who want to add a cellular connection will need to spend another $130.
New iPad Pros can now be pre-ordered and are expected to be shipped later this year, considering that its software iOS 11 will go live in fall.
$799 Microsoft 2-in-1
To be fair with Apple, Surface Pros have always been made to match the power of laptops. Thus, Microsoft has always powered them with the latest chips found on hefty laptops as well, which gained them a reputation of being 2-in-1 products.
This year, Microsoft surprised Surface Pro fans by suddenly announcing a new 2-in-1 just a couple of weeks before Apple was rumored to release the new iPad Pro.
One of the easily noticeable differences between the new Surface Pro and the new iPad Pro is the promised battery life. Microsoft says their newest 2-in-1 tablet can last up to 13.5 hours of use. Of course, battery life varies and this has yet to be tested once the product is out in the market.
On the other hand, another selling point that Microsoft highlighted on the new Surface Pro is the fanless architecture on the Intel Core m3 and i5 variants. It means the product aims for total silence even amid the heavy operations.
For the first time, Microsoft will add LTE cellular connectivity on the Surface Pro but this will cause the device to cost naturally higher. However, the exact price has yet to be announced by Microsoft as these variants will not be released until later this year.
As usual, Microsoft presents several variants or configurations of the new Surface Pro. Buyers can choose to have a 2-in-1 tablet powered by Kaby Lake Core m3, i5 or i7; with storage capacity of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB on the faster solid-state drive; and memory options from 4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB.
Meanwhile, for $799, people can get the new Surface Pro with 128 GB storage and 4 GB random access memory. This configuration is powered by 7th-generation Intel Core m3 running at 1.0 to 2.6 gigahertz.
Microsoft now accepts pre-orders for the new Surface Pro and is slated to be delivered by June 15.
