Surface Pro 7 vs iPad Pro Best 2 in 1 Laptop in 2024

The Surface Pro 7 is one of the most recent additions to Microsoft’s popular notebook/tablet hybrid. However, it has to contend with a device like the Apple iPad Pro in the marketplace. Even though the lineup was refreshed around a year ago, it’s still one of the most powerful 2 in 1 laptop going around, albeit with some minor adjustments. So how do the two fare in terms of hardware and software? Which is the better of the two? We aim to find out in this head to head. So let’s take a look at both devices.

Surface Pro 7 vs. iPad Pro Best 2 in 1 Laptop in 2024

 

 

Microsoft Surface Pro 7

Display and Design

The Surface Pro 7 has a stellar design with the body crafted out of a single piece of magnesium, providing durability and premium appearance. It has a 12.3-inch PixelSense display with a resolution of 2736 x 1824 and a pixel density of 267 PPI (pixels per inch). It’s also relatively slim compared to most notebooks and 2-in-1s in the market, which gives it a distinct advantage over the competition.

Processor and RAM

Microsoft is using Intel’s 10th gen Core i3, i5, and Core i7 processors with the Surface Pro 7, which are available in dual-core and quad-core versions. The i7 models naturally offer a more powerful CPU performance thanks to the improved cores and higher clock speed. This makes the Surface Pro 7 just as capable as a decent laptop that you can find in the marketplace today. Microsoft allows customers to choose from 4, 8 or 16GB of RAM variants, offering a wide range of options to choose from.

Battery

Microsoft claims that the battery on this device can run for approximately 10.5 hours on a single charge. The number may come down dramatically if you use it predominantly to stream high-resolution content on Netflix or other services. In case your battery gives doesn’t last more than 10.5 hours at a time, customers can take solace from the fact that the Surface Pro 7 can charge from 0 to 80 percent in a little over an hour, making it just as fast and powerful as other fast charging devices in the market.

Other Features

Microsoft separately sells an attractive Type Cover meant for this device, which can instantly turn it into a laptop. The keyboard cover attaches to the Surface Type Cover port located on the back of the device. This keyboard has all the functionality and buttons that you will find in a standard Windows keyboard. Speaking of Windows, this hybrid runs Windows 10 Home, and the company is also bundling a 30-day free trial of Office 365 to go along with it.

There are multiple connectivity options here, which gives this offering a leg up over its rivals in the industry. Users will find a USB C 3.1 port, a USB A port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSDXC card reader to transfer media from your smartphone onto the device. The Surface Pro 7 also has a Surface Connect port, which allows you to connect to the company’s Surface Dock. This device offers more USB ports and a lot more, thus expanding the already decent connectivity options. This accessory is worth considering if you’re planning to connect multiple peripherals to this tablet.

Given that Skyping is one of the critical functions of the Surface Pro 7, Microsoft has included a 5MP front camera and an 8MP camera on the back. These cameras are also quite decent for casual photography or selfies. The tablet comprises dual far-field stereo mics to make sure the Cortana voice assistant can receive your commands even if you’re at a distance from the device. The tablet doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner with Microsoft using its proprietary Windows Hello face authentication, which offers enterprise-grade protection to the users. The Surface Pro 7 is also equipped with 1.6W stereo speakers with Dolby Audio Premium for optimum audio performance.

Availability

The Surface Pro 7 can be purchased in Platinum and Matte Black colors, so there aren’t a lot of available options at launch. You can get the tablet as well as its corresponding accessories from a Microsoft Store near you or by checking them out on Amazon. The online retailer is currently offering a combo of the Platinum version with the Black Type Cover. This variant has a configuration of 8GB/128GB, which is just as good as any laptop you will find in the market today.

 

Apple iPad Pro (12.9)

Display and Design

The 2018 refresh of the iPad Pro was necessary for multiple reasons. One of the key reasons is because it introduced a redesign in the iPad lineup for the first time. For a change, the iPad Pro has minimal bezels which offer a screen to body ratio of 85.4%. The 12.9-inch display has been engineered for maximum performance. It is packing a resolution of 2732 x 2048 pixels providing a smooth pixel density of 265 PPI, offering a marginal advantage to the Surface Pro 7. Moreover, the display can offer a refresh rate of 120 Hz, making it one of the best display panels in the industry, especially for such a big device.

Processor and RAM

Apple designs its CPUs, which gives it extensive control over what features to keep and what to remove. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is running the company’s octa-core A12X Bionic chipset, which is complemented by the seven-core Apple GPU. In terms of real-world performance, the difference between the Surface Pro 7 and the iPad Pro 12.9 will be indistinguishable. Although it seems like the Apple A12X Bionic has a slight advantage here because it’s tailored to work seamlessly with all iOS apps. Apple offers the iPad Pro in 4GB and 6GB RAM variants, so this is an area where it lags behind Microsoft’s offering.

Battery

As is the standard across all iPads, Apple claims that this device can run for up to 10 hours on a single charge. That’s around 30 minutes lesser than the Surface Pro 7, although we also have to consider the fact that the iPad Pro 12.9 is significantly bigger than the Microsoft tablet. Apple uses a 9,720 mAh battery with this product, and it also supports reverse charging in the form of a power bank, allowing you to juice up other compatible devices.

Other Features

For the first time on an iPad, the company has gone with a USB C 3.1 port. This means it’s pretty much the same as the Surface Pro 7 in this regard, which can also offer reverse charging features provided you have the right accessories. Also worth noting here is the lack of a fingerprint scanner or the Touch ID sensor. Well, Apple has gotten rid of this altogether and is using the more reliable Face ID sensor that we see on its iPhones. This has also helped Apple cut down on unnecessary bezel space, as we’ve discussed above.

Apple offers a single 12MP rear camera with the iPad Pro 12.9 and a 7MP front camera for video calls over FaceTime as well as casual selfies. The company has also put in significant work in the audio department as the tablet is using a four-speaker layout while it also has noise cancellation with the help of the onboard microphone, something that’s also found in the Surface Pro 7.

The iPad Pro 12.9 is available in multiple storage variants including 64GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The high-end variant is also packing 6GB of RAM while the rest comes with just 4GB. The tablet launched with iOS 12 but has since been upgraded to iPadOS 13.1, which brings a whole new world of multitasking features.

Apple doesn’t provide a keyboard with the iPad Pro 12.9, although it sells a Smart Keyboard accessory explicitly meant for the device. The iPad Pro is also compatible with the 2nd gen Apple Pencil that gives you a wide range of editing options utilizing the native user interface. Customers can charge the Apple Pencil by simply turning Bluetooth on their iPad Pro and attaching the pencil to the magnetic connector located on the right-hand side of the tablet.

Availability

The iPad Pro can be bought via multiple channels, including Apple’s retail and online stores. It can also be bought on Amazon with multiple variants currently available for purchase. The iPad Pro is available in Silver and Space Gray, so color options are somewhat limited compared to other offerings in the market.

Conclusion

While the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 7 are equally good in their own right, we think the iPad Pro still makes a great deal of sense, given the advantages it has in terms of hardware and particularly with software. While Windows 10 has long been a stable desktop OS, iOS or iPadOS has seen significant improvements over the past few iterations making it one of the best tablet operating systems in the market.

It is also worth pointing out that some variants of the iPad Pro are significantly cheaper than the Surface Pro 7. This alone is enough reason to go with the trusted and reliable iPad Pro 12.9 over the Surface Pro 7. But with that being said, the Surface Pro 7 is an excellent choice if your primary operating system is Windows. It gives you the best of all things Microsoft, and the addition of a free trial of Office 365 is a sweet bonus too.