Following Microsoft, Apple has announced two new iPads at its WWDC event today. Much like Microsoft’s Surface Pro, the iPad Pro is Apple’s take on a tablet designed for PC computing – and Apple’s iOS 11 software update makes that very clear.
Much like the Surface Pro, Apple has doubled down on its strengths, improving the iPad’s performance with the powerful A10x processor which has been estimated to deliver desktop-class performance, rivalling Intel processors like the M-series and decimating Qualcomm’s efforts in the process. Of course, Microsoft’s Surface features an actual desktop processor, so the advantage of the iPad there is that it can somewhat match the base of the Surface, but gets left behind at the top end.
The software is the important part of any modern PC, and both Apple and Microsoft offer ridiculous amounts of software for their respective devices. While some may be quick to disparage the iPads app ecosystem as being toys, or the Windows app ecosystem as being outdated and clunky, the truth is that both software experiences offer enough for the average user that it doesn’t really matter how many apps one has over the other at this stage.
Microsoft and Apple likewise take different approaches to computing,with Microsoft taking an old wine into new skin approach and Apple extending its iOS to account for larger screens. Neither have been entirely successful, Microsoft’s Surface is still a better laptop than it is a tablet, and the iPad will remain a better tablet than laptop till iOS 11 ships and can be fully evaluated.
With all that being said, both devices ship next week, in the meantime, here’s how they stack up on a pure hardware level.
| Component | Surface Pro | iPad Pro 12.9 | iPad Pro 10.5 |
| Display | 12.3-inch PixelSense Display (2736×1824, 267 PPI, touch-enabled) | 12.9-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display 2732×2048 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) | 10.5-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit Multi-Touch display, 2224×1668 resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) |
| CPU | 7th gen Intel Core m3 | A10X Fusion chip with 64?bit architecture | A10X Fusion chip with 64?bit architecture |
| Battery | Up to 13.5 hours | Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi?Fi, watching video or listening to music | Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi?Fi, watching video or listening to music |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD | 64GB | 64GB |
| Ports | One USB 3.0 port, Surface Connect, 3.55mm headphone jack, SD card slot | One lightning connector, one 3.5 mm headphone jack | One lightning connector, one 3,5 mm headphone jack |
| Dimensions | 11.50” x 7.9” x 0.33” | 12″ x 9.68″ x 0.27″ | 9.8″ x 6.8″ x 0.24″ |
| Weight | 768 grams | 677 grams | 469 grams |
| Operating System | Windows 10 | iOS 10 (iOS 11 later this year) | iOS 10 (iOS 11 later this year) |
| Price | $799 | $799 | $649 |
Microsoft’s Surface Pro starts at $799 and you can pre-order one right here..