Major Differences: iPad Pro uses mobile operating system, while Surface Pro 4 uses desktop operating system
It is inevitable to compare Apple's iPad Pro to Microsoft's Surface Pro 4. Both may look like laptop-tablet hybrid devices but uses a desktop operating system, while the other uses a mobile operating system.
According to Time, Microsoft's Surface products are marketed as tablets that can replace laptops. However, the company also recently released the Surface Book, which is a high-end laptop. The new Surface Pro 4 uses the new Windows 10 and injected it to the mobile device, making Surface a laptop that can be used as a tablet. However, only a few Windows 10 apps are compatible for tablets. On the other hand, Apple's new iPad Pro, which is the biggest tablet for the company yet at 12.9 inches, uses the iOS 9. This means, it has over 800,000 apps designed for tablet devices.
In a report by the Los Angeles Times, the new iPad Pro is for people who need bigger screens, such as those who write, edit graphics, and build spreadsheets. However, writing is better on the laptop or the desktop. IPad Pro is for those who needs to be mobile and requires leaving the laptop at home. Users will need the Apple Pencil and a physical keyboard to be more useful. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Surface Pro is more of a laptop replacement, especially with its new keyboard cover. The Windows 10 apps allow it to display more than one window at the same time. However, not all of those apps are made for touch controls, which is something important for mobile devices.
The Christian Post reported that the Surface Pro 4 has a 12.3-inch 2736 x 1824 pixel at 267 pixels per inch display, while the iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch 2732×2048 pixel at 264 pixels per inch display. The Windows tablet has RAM configurations options including 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB, while the iPad Pro carries a 4 GB RAM.
IPad Pro has a starting price of $799, while the Surface Pro 4 starts at $899.