October 2015 is said to be the unboxing moment for the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 while the earlier unveiled iPad Pro is reportedly scheduled for a November release date. When the two giant tablets collide, which will emerge as the winner?
Nothing solid is known at the moment about the Surface Pro 4 but leaked details so far suggest that professional users will favor the Windows 10-powered tab. Here are the five reasons the SP4 will beat the iPad Pro:
Windows 10
The biggest edge, perhaps, that the Surface Pro 4 is it's chiefly designed and optimized for Windows 10. Experts have been harping about the notion that the real power and features of the cross-platform operating system will be best showcased with the Surface Pro 3 sequel and Microsoft will soon prove that in the few weeks ahead.
The iPad Pro on iOS 9 is definitely more powerful than its iPhone counterparts but the Apple operating system is mainly of mobile architecture. Windows 10, on the other hand, operates with muscle on desktop and transitions with ease as a mobile OS thanks to Continuum.
And another thing going for Windows 10 on the Surface Pro 4 is its native support of universal applications - apps that run both on mobile and desktop environments. In comparison, apps written for iOS 9 will never run on its OS X counterpart.
Connectivity and expansion
Apple unboxed the iPad Pro with a single connectivity option, its proprietary Lightning port that obviously is quite limiting. Also, expanding the on-board is out of the question.
Not the case of the Surface Pro 4 as according to Neurogadget, it is likely that the upcoming tablet will carry over its predecessor's USB 3.0 and mini display ports that allow the hooking up of up to three external monitors.
Rumors also indicate that the SP4 internal memory will reach a high of 1TB for specific models but Microsoft will still include a microSD slot in the event users feel the need for extra memory space.
Stylus included in the box
With the iPad Pro the Apple Pencil was introduced but the stylus is not part of the package. It requires $100 for users to take home the tool. The Surface Pro 3 includes a stylus in the box and it should be the same with the Pro 4.
Cheaper accessories
It is believed that the Surface Pro 4 is deliberately designed for backward compatibility with Pro 3 accessories, meaning those planning to pick up the new model will surely realize significant savings. And if SP4 users will need to score the same accessories, they still come cheaper compared to iPad Pro's companion products.
Solid pricing
Microsoft sells the Surface Pro 3 starting at $700 with 64GB of internal storage and the likelihood is the Surface Pro 4 will hit the market bearing the same sticker price for the basic model. When business users consider that the 32GB iPad Pro has an asking price of $800 with no prospect of extra memory, the choice should be easy - the Surface Pro 4 it is.