Microsoft Surface Pro vs Apple M4 iPad Pro: this is how they compare

Microsoft recently unveiled the eleventh edition of the Surface Pro. We tell you what the similarities and differences are between the Microsoft Surface Pro and the Apple M4 iPad Pro.

Microsoft Surface Pro vs Apple M4 iPad Pro

Microsoft is all about AI and recently introduced a range of Copilot+ PCs with AI-focused hardware. The new Surface Pro is one of the first Copilot+ PCs equipped with the Snapdragon Elite X processor. We put the new Surface Pro next to the M4 iPad Pro.

Performance M4 and Snapdragon Elite

The new iPad is the first Apple device with the M4 chip. This now has to compete against the Qualcomm Snapdragon Elite X in the new Surface Pro. Although the Elite core performance (both 14,000).

There are a few areas where the Snapdragon

But as usual, by producing both the hardware and the software, Apple manages to get more performance from fewer CPU cores and less memory. In addition, the M4 iPad Pro also offers hardware-accelerated ray tracing and support for hardware-accelerated 8K H.264, HEVC, ProREs and ProRes RAW. This does not apply to the Snapdragon X Elite.

Display: iPad Pro delivers more clarity

The M4 iPad Pro models feature a new Ultra Retina XDR display, the first to use tandem OLED technology: the light from the two OLED panels together delivers fantastic clarity and extreme dynamic range. According to Apple, the benefits of the new OLED display include: specular highlights, deeper blacks and more detail in shadows.

Both the smaller and larger iPad Pro are equipped with the new OLED display. The 1 TB and 2 TB models can now be upgraded with nano-textured display glass. Additionally, brightness has been increased to 1000 nits on the M4 iPad Pro models.

The Microsoft Surface Pro, on the other hand, has a 13-inch OLED screen, but it is not as advanced as Apple’s. For example, the brightness is lower (600 nits), just like the refresh rate, ‘P3 wide color reproduction’ is missing and much more.

Design, dimensions and colors

With a thickness of only 5.1 mm, the M4 iPad Pro 13 inches is the thinnest product Apple has ever made. In addition, the M4 iPad Pro is lighter than its predecessor. The 13-inch version weighs only 579 grams. The M4 iPad Pro is almost twice as thin as the new Surface Pro, which is a lot heavier at almost 900 grams.

The M4 iPad Pro is only available in space black and silver, the Surface Pro is available in sapphire, dune sand brown, black and platinum.

Battery life and storage: Surface Pro offers a little more

The 2024 iPad Pro models with M4 chip have the same battery life as their predecessors:

• Up to 10 hours online via WiFi or watching videos
• Up to 9 hours online via 5G

The Microsoft Surface Pro offers:

• Up to 10 hours ‘active’ online
• Up to 14 hours of video playback

In terms of storage, the iPad has more configurations, but the Surface Pro offers more maximum memory with 32 GB RAM than the iPad Pro (16 GB RAM). In addition, you can use a removable SSD with the Surface.

Camera

The M4 iPad Pro has a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera at the back, a LiDAR scanner and a Retina flash with True Tone. Notably, the M4 iPad Pro drops the 10MP ultra-wide angle of the M2 iPad Pro. On the front is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera that now sits in the center of the long edge instead of the short edge as on previous models.

The Microsoft Surface Pro has a similar camera setup with a 10-megapixel camera on the back and an ultra-wide-angle Quad HD lens on the front.

Surface Pro vs M4 iPad Pro: conclusion and prices

It is difficult to identify a clear winner. The hardware, specs and performance of both devices are definitely solid. The iPad Pro wins because of the thinnest body and probably faster performance. But the Surface Pro wins when it comes to flexibility, like WiFi 7, longer battery life, and features like a removable SSD. The most important question is probably whether you want to use iPadOS 17 or Windows 11.

If you are planning to purchase the Apple M4 iPad Pro, check out the best deals below!

Do you always want to stay informed of all the Apple news? Please sign up for our daily/weekly newsletter. Additionally, download the free iphoned app and keep an eye on our website.

• Microsoft Surface Pro vs Apple M4 iPad Pro: this is how they compare

• The latest update for iPhones: iOS 17.5 (iPhone News #20)

• iPad Pro 2024 is very thin (but will that make it bend faster?)

• iPad Pro 2024 has problems, but Apple is working on the solution

• The new M4 chip in the iPad Pro 2024 is so much faster than M3