Microsoft Surface Pro 2017 vs MacBook Pro 13 Comparison: Why Apple Needs to Launch a MacBook Pro Update Soon
When the new Surface Pro tablet-laptop was launched last week, Apple gained all the more reason to launch an update to their MacBook Pro line soon.
When the Surface Pro 5 did not make an appearance at two Microsoft events - MicrosoftEDU and Microsoft Build - earlier this month, many thought that the closest possible time for the release of the much-awaited new generation of tablet-laptops could be sometime later this year.
However, Microsoft surprised everyone last week with the launch of its new Surface Pro. While it dropped the branding by number, it came out with some of the best possible technical specifications upgrades possible to tackle Apple's non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro 13.
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Processor
The most noticeable advantage of the new Surface Pro from the 13-inch MacBook Pro is its processing chip. The latter still sports the 6th generation Intel chips while the new Surface Pro is powered with the latest Kaby Lake CPUs.
Consumers can choose among the 7th generation Intel Core m3, i5 and i7 when purchasing the new Surface Pro while Apple offers the 6th generation Intel Core i5 and i7 on its cuurrent MacBook Pro 13-inch device.
Design and Screen
For the longest time, Apple's MacBooks had the sleekest designs versus its competitors. However, it also seems like Microsoft realized the added value that a good-looking tablet-laptop can have thus building the new Surface Pro with a magnesium-alloy finish.
Meanwhile, as Digital Trends pointed out, it might be a mismatch to compare the weights of the MacBook Pro 13 and the new Surface Pro as the latter's keyboard is "partially made of fabric" while considering that the MacBook Pro 13 has a clamshell laptop design.
However, for the sake of comparison, Apple said the MacBook Pro 13 weighs about 4.02 pounds while the new Surface Pro is lighter at around 1.7 lbs.
As for the screen, the MacBook Pro 13 definitely has the highest resolution available in the laptop market at 2,560 x 1,600. However, the new Surface Pro still plays a tad better with a 2,736 x 1,824 resolution.
Memory, Storage and Battery
With a Kaby Lake chip on board, the new Surface Pro offers random access memory options from 4 GB, 8 GB to 16 GB while the MacBook Pro 13 has 8 GB and 16 GB variants.
As for the storage area, both products have solid-state drives with options from 256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB. However, Microsoft also offers a 128 GB SSD variant and the new Surface Pro is built with a microSD slot.
Meanwhile, as for their batteries, Microsoft promised that the new Surface Pro can stay up for about 13.5 hours while the MacBook Pro 13 has been proven to deliver its advertised 10-hour battery life.
Price
It is almost always expected that Apple's products will be priced higher than its competition. However, it does not necessarily mean the new Surface Pro comes cheap.
The most basic new Surface Pro configuration costs $799.99 (shipping starts on June 15) while the higher-end variants can be priced as much as $2,699. On the other hand, the Core i5-powered MacBook Pro 13 costs $1,499.
On the other hand, rumors have suggested that Apple is set to make the battle even as they are expected to launch MacBook Pro refreshes next month during the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.
