Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Vs Google Chromebook Pixel Specs Comparison

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Surfae Pro 3 Chromebook Pixel

Google today released their new Chromebook Pixel to compete with high-end Windows Ultrabooks. Take a look at the comparison of Chromebook Pixel specs against Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3. Read more about Chromebook Pixel here.

Technical specs

Product Surface Pro 3 Chromebook Pixel
Operating system Windows 8.1 Pro Chrome OS
Exterior Dimensions: 7.93 in x 11.5 in x 0.36 in,

Weight: 0.79 kg Casing: Magnesium,

Color: Silver

8.8 in x 11.7 in x 0.6 inWeight: 1.5 kg Casing: Aluminum

Color: Silver

Storage 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB 32GB, 64GB
Display Screen: 12-inch ClearType Full HD display,Resolution: 2160 x 1440,

Aspect Ratio: 3:2,

Touch: Multitouch input

Screen: 12.85-inch display,Resolution: 2560 x 1700,

Aspect Ratio: 3:2,

Touch: Multitouch input

Pen input Pen input and pen (included with purchase), Pen features 256 levels of pressure sensitivity None
CPU 4th-generation Intel® Core™ i3/i5/i7 Processor,

System memory: 4GB or 8GB memory

Options TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security

5th-generation Intel® Core™ i5/i7 Processor,

System memory: 8GB or 16GB memory

Wireless Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11ac/802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11ac/802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 low energy technology
Battery Up to nine hours of Web-browsing battery life Up to 12 hours of Web-browsing battery life
Cameras and A/V 5MP and 1080p HD front- and rear-facing cameras

Stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio-enhanced sound

Built-in front- and rear-facing microphones

720P HD Wide Angle camera with Blue Glass

Stereo speakers

Dual microphones

Ports Full-size USB 3.0, microSD card reader, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port, Charging port Two USB-C Ports, Two USB 3.0 ports, Headset jack.
Sensors Ambient light sensor Accelerometer Gyroscope Magnetometer None
Power supply 36W power supply (including 5W USB for accessory charging) Built-in 59-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery60W USB-C Power Adapter
Warranty One-year limited hardware warranty One-year limited hardware warranty
Price Starts at $799 Starts at $999

As you can infer from the comparison table below, Surface Pro 3 hardware has many advantages over Chromebook Pixel like weight, camera, stylus support to name a few. Also, Chromebook Pixel has some advantages like improved battery life due to new Intel CPU, 16GB RAM option and new Type-C ports. But when you look at the overall value of the devices, Surface Pro 3 beats Chromebook Pixel hands-down. The main reason is the Chrome OS which powers Chromebook Pixel. Chrome OS is a glorified web browser with few offline capabilities. Just like the previous Chromebook Pixel, this one will also be tougher for Google to sell.

If you are interested in Surface Pro 3, Microsoft Store is now offering free sleeves with Surface Pro 3 devices. Order it before it goes out of stock. Find the links below.

Surface Pro 3 Estimated retail price (USD)
Intel® Core™ i3, 64 GB and 4 GB of RAM $799
Intel® Core™ i5, 128 GB and 4 GB of RAM $899
Intel® Core™ i5, 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM $1,199
Intel® Core™ i7, 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM $1,449
Intel® Core™ i7, 512 GB and 8 GB of RAM $1,849

More about the topics: Chrome OS, Chromebook Pixel, comparison, google, hardware, microsoft, specs, Surface Pro 3, Tech Specs, windows