iPad Pro vs Surface Pro 4 Review

Which tablet should you buy? Both are elegant machines but which one you buy depends on what your individual needs are. Both can be viewed as laptop replacements but if depending on your use case one may be better than the other for you.

Surface Pro 4

One of the best selling points for the Surface is that it has many more options than the iPad Pro. The Surface Pro 4 gives options of choosing your chip (three options: Core M3, Core i5, or Core i7); your storage space (128GB, 256GB, or 512GB); and options of 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB or RAM. 

The Surface Pro 4 comes with more ports than the iPad Pro. It includes a USB 3.0 port and microSD slot. Unlike the iPad Pro, there is no option for a cellular connection.

On the camera front, the Surface Pro 4 has a rear 8MP camera and up to a 5MP front camera. 

The display on the Surface Pro 4 is 12.3-inches with a pixel density of 267ppi. The screen looks and feels sturdy and the form factor of the Surface Pro is very comfortable for a laptop replacement device.

The biggest selling point for the Surface Pro 4 over the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement is the fact that Surface Pro runs Windows 10, the complete OS. All the comforts and familiarity of this OS are there on the Surface Pro 4. 

Design and Specs: 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

The iPad Pro offers little when it comes to customizability. All iPad Pros will run the blisteringly fast A9X chip and have 4GB of RAM. You can choose from a 32GB model or from two 128GB models, one with or without 4G cellular connectivity.

Like the Surface Pro, the iPad Pro 12.9-inch has a rear 8MP camera and has a 1.2 MP front camera. Interestingly, the smaller 9.7-inch version has a similar camera setup as the iPhone SE: a 12MP rear camera with a wide f2.2 aperture that supports 8MP stills and 4K video capture. The front camera is 5MP on the 9.7-inch model.

The pixel density is similar to the Surface Pro on both iPad Pro models is 264ppi.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro supports 3D touch while the 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a more advanced display with its "True Tone" panel. The iPad Pro display has the bigger, ever so slightly sharper display over the Surface Pro 4.

The major downside of the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement is that it only runs iOS 9. No full-fledged OS here. While iOS 9 has a plethora of apps, it does not compare to running a desktop OS like OS X or WIndows 10. 

For creative types who enjoy having 4G connectivity then this is the superior device for you.

Design and Specs

iPad Pro (12.9in)

• 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

iPad Pro (9.7in)

• Display: 9.7-inch 1536×2048 pixel at 264 pixels per inch
• Colors: Silver, Space Grey, Gold, Rose Gold
• Storage: 32, 128GB, and 256GB
• Processors: 64-bit A9X and M9
• RAM: 4GB
• Touch ID: yes
• Cameras: front 5MP 720p HD camera and a rear 12MP 4K HD camera
• Connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, optional 4G
• Size: 240 x 169.5 x 6.1 mm
• Weight: 437 grams

The Surface Pro 4 is definitely the better laptop replacement product. It is a laptop/tablet hybrid while the iPad Pro is just a tablet. The hardware is better and more customizable and the fact that iPad Pro does not run OS X is a major weakness. 

The Surface Pro does cost a lot more but its versatility makes it the superior product for a laptop replacement device. 

PC TEC RESCUERS is always available 24/7 to assist you with any technical needs. We can't help you choose between iPad Pro or Surface Pro 4 but we can fix and diagnose any problem on both or any device you may own. Our friendly techs await your call.