Apple iPad Pro or Microsoft Surface Pro 4? We help you decide

Apple iPad Pro: The Apple iPad Pro is really large at 12.9 inches diagonally, but it is still one of the thinnest tablets you can buy. And there is good use for the extra real estate as the stunning display and best sound on any mobile device makes this an amazing multimedia device. But the size also means you are always trying to protect it from slips and falls.

The Apple iPad Pro is really large at 12.9 inches diagonally, but it is still one of the thinnest tablets you can buy.

Must Read: Apple iPad Pro review blog: The most powerful iPad, but not for everyone

Microsoft Surface Pro 4: The Surface Pro 4 is 12.3 inches, but can easily fit into an iPad Pro. This means it is not as intimidatingly large. It is thin, but not with curved edges as we are used to in tablets. That is because the Surface Pro 4 gives you a couple of ports to play around with. There is a PC-like grille on the side and I noticed that this is used to send the heat out like in a laptop.

The Surface Pro 4 is 12.3 inches, but can easily fit into an iPad Pro.

Read: Microsoft Surface Pro 4 review blog: Not a tablet, this is a laptop replacement

Watch our video

Accessories

Apple iPad Pro: Apple has launched a smart keyboard as well as a Pencil stylus for the iPad Pro. However, both of these need to be bought extra. The keyboard is just about half the size of the iPad Pro but has full functions, though there is no trackpad. The Pencil is a pressure sensitive stylus, though it feels a bit awkward in your hand since it is made of a hard marble-like material. The innovation here is its ability to shade when you use its sides, like with a normal pencil. It can also be charged from the iPad in a jiffy if the battery drains.

The Apple Pencil is a pressure sensitive stylus, though it feels a bit awkward in your hand since it is made of a hard marble-like material.

Surface Pro 4: The Surface has been coming with a full keyboard in its earlier versions too. The Surface Pro 4 has a blacklit keyboard that also has enough space for a trackpad. The keyboard works like any on a high-end laptop and will keep you happy. However, unlike the iPad Pro this Surface Pro 4 with a keyboard won’t stand on you lap. But the Surface Pen can stick to the body of the Pro 4 and there are fewer chances of you losing it than the Pencil. It also comes with a clicker on top that doubles up as an eraser and can be used to open OneNote or Cortana. But the biggest advantage of the Pen is that it feels like one.

The Surface Pen can stick to the body of the Pro 4 and there are fewer chances of you losing it than the Pencil.

Performance

Apple iPad Pro: This is where the two devices are different at the core. The iPad Pro is a larger, more powerful iPad, which means it is a tablet to the core. It runs app and only apps, and being an Apple device it has all the best apps. On a mobile device users are looking for two things: the ability to work on the go and stability. The iPad Pro delivers on both these counts, and does some heavy duty stuff like 4K editing you wouldn’t expect a tablet to do.

The iPad Pro is a larger, more powerful iPad, which means it is a tablet to the core.

Surface Pro 4: The Surface Pro 4 is a very powerful device too. But it is more like a thinner, slicker Ultrabook than a tablet on steroids. So it takes time switching and sometimes just refuses to wake from sleep. It runs full programmes, which is great from a productivity point of view, but is prone to crashes even with native apps.

To be frank, the Surface Pro 4 thinks and acts like a PC and not a tablet, so keep that in mind when you put the money on the table. But if you are looking to replace an old laptop with something better and very 2016, then this is it.

The Surface Pro 4 is a very powerful device too. But it is more like a thinner, slicker Ultrabook than a tablet on steroids.

Now, you know what it means to own either the Apple iPad Pro or the Microsoft Surface Pro 4. The choice is yours. One tip that will help you decide: look for what your use cases are and it will be easier making a final choice. Do you need a tablet or a PC?