The Surface Pro 4 vs. the competition: Tablets for productivity
It's been an up-and-down ride for Microsoft's line of Surface tablets -- but the company finally hit on a formula that worked with the Surface Pro 3. It's a device that has inspired a number of competitors, most recently from Microsoft's long-standing rivals Apple and Google. The newly-announced iPad Pro and Pixel C both take clear and obvious cues from the Surface lineup, but fortunately for Microsoft it now has a brand-new Surface Pro 4 to compete with these newcomers. While much of your interest in these devices will likely come from which operating system you prefer, we've lined up the specs below so you can get an idea as to how these tablets will all stack up when they hit stores later this year.
Price | starts at $899 | $799, $949, $1,079 | $499, $599 |
Thickness | 8.45mm (0.33 inch) | 6.9mm (0.27 inch) | 7.1mm (0.28 inch) |
Weight | 766 or 786g (1.69 or 1.73 pounds) | 713 or 723g (1.57 or 1.59 pounds) | estimated 454g (1 pound) |
OS | Windows 10 | iOS 9 | Android 6.0 |
Display | 12.3-inch PixelSense display | 12.9-inch IPS LCD Retina display | 10.2-inch LCD |
Resolution | 2,763 x 1,824 (267 ppi) | 2,732 x 2,048 (265 ppi) | 2,560 x 1,800 (308 ppi) |
Aspect ratio | 3:2 | 4:3 | 3:2 |
Processor | Intel m3 / i5 / i7 | Apple A9X | NVIDIA Tegra X1 |
Memory | 4GB / 8GB / 16GB | NA | 3GB |
Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 32GB / 128GB | 32GB / 64GB |
Ports | microSD, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port, Surface Connect | Lightning | USB Type-C |
Front camera | 5MP | 1.2MP FaceTime, f2.2 | 2MP |
Rear camera | 8MP, 1080p | 8MP iSight, f/2.4, 1080p video at 30fps | 8MP |
Cellular radio | None | Optional | None |
WiFi | Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Dual band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac | Yes |
Bluetooth | v4.0 | v4.2 | Yes |
Accelerometer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Gyroscope | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Battery | 9 hours | 10 hours | TBA |
Accessories | Surface Pen, Surface Pro Type Cover | Smart Keyboard, Apple Pencil | Keyboard Cover |
Get all the news from today's Microsoft event right here.
