Surface Pro 7 Vs. IPad Pro: Premium Tablet Face-off

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Surface Pro 7 

Sarah Tew/CNET

If you blinked In the middle of Microsoft's Surface Event on Oct. 2, you might have missed the Surface Pro 7 announcement. Squeezed between the new Surface Laptop 3 and Microsoft's future dual-screen Surface Duo Android phone and Surface Neo dual-screen tablet with Windows 10X software for dual-screen devices, the Pro 7's staid update didn't stand out. It was also overshadowed by the Surface Pro X, kynghidongduong.vn a 13-inch tablet running Windows on a Microsoft-custom version of a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the SQ1 Arm chip.   

Microsoft's top tablet PC gets a bump up to the Intel Ice lake-equivalents of their predecessors and the higher-end models running Core i5 and i7 processors have Intel Iris Plus Graphics -- a boost over the base Intel UHD integrated graphics in the Surface Pro 6. The Pro 7 also has a USB-C port in place of Mini DisplayPort. It is not, however, Thunderbolt 3. 








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Those changes should be enough to keep it competitive with other Windows 10 two-in-one devices. But is it enough to keep people from going with an iPad Pro to use as laptop replacement instead? The current iPad Pro hardware is nearly a year old, however Apple just released iPadOS, an updated iPad version of iOS with new features to help feel more like a desktop OS. 

Read: Best 2-in-1 PCs in 2019 for when you need a laptop and tablet in one

The feature that generated a lot interest when iPadOS went into beta was the addition of Bluetooth mouse support. While that might sound like a big step toward turning an iPad into a legitimate laptop replacement, the reality is a bit of a letdown, as CNET's Scott Stein discovered while testing the iPadOS beta. That feature is hidden deep in the accessibility menu, and for good reason -- it's not a traditional mouse implementation, more of an extra pointing and clicking device for those who have trouble with touchscreens. 

That means comparing the iPad Pro to Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 to see which is the better laptop alternative or tablet is still a pitched battle. There is certainly some feature overlap, but there are also things that could definitely push you one way or the other.



Specs



iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018) Surface Pro 7 (2019) Surface Pro 6 (2018)

Price Starts at $999, £969, AU$1,529 Starts at $749, £799, AU$1,249 Starts at $799, £784, AU$1,349

Optional keyboard $199, £199, AU$299 $129, £125, tour hà giang giá rẻ AU$200 $129, £125, AU$200

Optional stylus $129, £119, AU$199 $99, £60, AU$140 $99, £60, AU$140

Display 12.9-inch Retina display, 2,732x2,048 resolution (264 ppi) 12.3-inch PixelSense display, 2,736x1,824 resolution (267 ppi) 12.3-inch PixelSense display, 2,736x1,824 resolution (267 ppi)

Processor A12X Bionic 10th-gen Intel Core i3, i5, i7 8th-gen Intel Core i5, i7

RAM Not disclosed 4GB / 8GB / 16GB 8GB / 16GB

Storage 64GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB

SIM card support for cellular model Nano-SIM; eSIM None None

Wireless 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5.0 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1

Ports USB-C, Smart Connector USB-C, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover port, MicroSDXC, USB-A, 3.5mm headphone jack Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover port, MicroSDXC, tour hà giang từ hà nội USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack

Cameras Front: 7-megapixel TrueDepth with support for Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, rear: 12-megapixel Front: 5-megapixel with support for Windows Hello, rear: 8-megapixel Front: 5-megapixel with support for Windows Hello, rear: 8-megapixel

OS iPadOS Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Home

Dimensions (HWD) 11 x 8.5 x 0.23 inches 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches

Weight 1.4 lb, 0.63 kg 1.7 lb, 0.77 kg 1.7 lb, 0.77 kg

Battery life Up to 10 hours Up to 10.5 hours Up to 13.5 hours




Adobe Fresco on the iPad Pro.

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Surface Pro 7, regardless of what's inside it, is going to get you a true desktop experience as it's running full Windows 10 and behaves like a traditional laptop. The iPad Pro, even with the improvements in iPadOS, can't handle workflow the same way as Windows 10 and still is best as a tablet. 

Multitasking, for example is improved and the iPad's Files app gives you access to local and cloud-stored files now. The updated OS makes it possible to connect external drives and open, copy and save files on the iPad like PDFs, videos, photos and documents. But the experience still pales in comparison to Windows 10.