iPad Pro VS Microsoft Surface Pro 4: Can Microsoft’s Best Shot In The Hybrid Space Take Down iOS?

Old rivalries die hard, it seems! 

The long-standing competition between Apple and Microsoft across different spectrums within the tech sphere has stood as a testimony to that fact for years now. 

The Apple iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4 standoff is yet another manifestation of that old rivalry.

At the onset of this rather cumbersome comparative analysis between the two of the most popular tablets around today, it's important to highlight that both these devices attempt to project themselves as credible alternatives to laptops. 

Therefore, all the information from hereon will be strictly filtered through their ability to accomplish that objective.

In terms of size, the iPad Pro is slimmer between the two (3.4 mm as compared to the Surface Pro 4's 8.4 mm). 

While being slimmer than its closest competitor has its own perks, there is a trade-off as well. The iPad Pro doesn't come with the USB 3.0 like the Surface Pro 4 does.

When it comes to the overall size and weight, the iPad Pro is slightly larger and heavier than the Surface Pro 4 (with keyboards). 

There's no a huge amount in it, though - so the first round of this iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4 standoff ends in a tie!

The operating system is going to play an important role in this comparison because of the whole aspiring-laptop-replacement dimension. 

The iPad Pro is powered by iOS, delivering basically the same user experience as any other iPad at a somewhat larger scale (meaning not the full Mac OS X experience of a MacBook).

Microsoft fares better in that aspect as it has bestowed the Surface Pro 4 with Windows 10, the same OS platform powering new-generation PCs and laptops.

The issue with having a "full operating system" powering a smaller device, however, is the toll it taken on the battery life. 

Sure, there are many other factors as well that collectively determine the overall backup time of a device. But, on a closer look, having a more resource-intensive OS makes the battery life of Surface Pro 4 slightly inferior to that of its competitor.

The display of the Surface Pro 4 (12.3-inch)is marginally smaller than the iPad Pro display (12.9-inch). However, the display specifications and the overall display quality is more or less the same in both devices.

In terms of speed and performance, the Surface Pro 4 offers the 6th Gen Intel Core m3 processor with 4GB of RAM. 

The iPad Pro's A9X chip with 64‑bit architecture M9 motion coprocessor may not be as powerful as the Intel Core M3, but together with iOS, it delivers a pretty efficient performance in addition to a longer battery life.

As you can see for yourself, it's tough drawing a conclusion in this iPad Pro vs Microsoft Surface Pro 4 standoff.

But if you must draw a conclusion right here right now, this assessment by PocketLint's Mike Lowe and Luke Edwards might be of use:

"The Microsoft Surface Pro 4, with the Type Cover added, is the more viable laptop-replacement; the iPad Pro, while also capable as a laptop-replacement in part, is more large-scale tablet."