NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
Surface Pro 4 vs. Surface Book vs. Surface Pro 3: Is it worth upgrading and which one is best for you?
Microsoft yesterday unveiled the Surface Pro 4, the company’s latest iteration of its popular two-in-one tablet range. At the same time, Microsoft managed to surprise everyone by also introducing a new hybrid laptop, the Surface Book.
If you have been holding out for the Surface Pro 4 to arrive or you own a Surface 3 or Surface Pro 3 and want to upgrade, you may find yourself wondering which of the two new Surface devices is the right fit you.
Below we take a look at how the four Surface devices stack up in terms of technical specifications and then we dive a bit deeper into what sets them apart.
Surface Pro 4 vs. Surface Book vs. Surface Pro 3 vs. Surface 3: Tech specs
|
Surface Pro 4 |
Surface Book | Surface Pro 3 |
Surface 3 |
|
| Operating system |
Windows 10 Pro |
Windows 10 Pro | Windows 8.1 Pro (free upgrade to Windows 10) |
Windows 8.1 Pro (free upgrade to Windows 10) |
| Display |
12.3-inch PixelTouch |
13.5-inch PixelSense | 12-inch |
10.8-inch |
| Resolution |
2736 x 1824 at 267 ppi |
3000 x 2000 at 267 ppi | 2160 x 1440 at 216 ppi |
1920 x 1280 at 213 ppi |
| Processor |
6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, or i7, Intel Iris 540 GPU |
Up to 6th-gen 2-core Intel Core i7, Intel HD 520 or Nvidia GeForce GPU | Up to 5th-gen 1.7GHz 2-core Intel Core i7, Up to Intel HD 5000 GPU |
1.6GHz 4-core Intel Atom x7 |
| RAM |
4GB, 8GB, or 16GB |
8GB or 16GB | 4GB or 8GB |
2GB or 4GB |
| Storage |
128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB |
128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB or 512GB |
64GB or 128GB |
| Ports |
Full-size USB 3.0, microSD card reader, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port. SurfaceConnect |
2x USB 3.0, SD card reader, Mini DisplayPort, SurfaceConnect (charging and docking), headset jack | USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Micro USB, headset jack, charging port |
USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, Micro USB (charging), headset jack |
| Front Camera |
5.0-megapixel |
5.0-megapixel | 5.0-megapixel |
3.5-megapixel |
| Rear Camera |
8-megapixel |
8-megapixel | 5.0-megapixel |
8-megapixel |
| Battery |
Up to 9 hours video playback |
Up to 12 hours of video playback | Up to 9 hours Web browsing |
Up to 10 hours video playback |
| Dimensions (Inches) |
11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 |
12.3 x 8.67 x .30 | 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.36 inches |
10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 |
| Weight (Pounds) |
1.69 without Type Cover |
3.34 including keyboard | 1.76 without Type Cover |
1.37 without Type Cover |
| Base price |
Starting at $899.00 |
Starting at $1,499.00 | Starting at $799.00 |
Starting at $499.00 |
| Stylus/Keyboard |
Surface Pro 4 Type Cover ($129.99), Surface Pen included |
Keyboard included, Surface Pen included | Surface Pro 3 Type Cover ($129.99), Surface Pen included |
Surface 3 Type Cover ($129.99), Surface Pen ($49.99) |
See the Surface Book in action:
Display
Surface Pro 4: Compared to the Surface Pro 3, the Pro 4 thinner bezels and a larger screen at 12.3-inches compared to 12-inches. Although bigger, the Pro 4’s screen is thinner at 8.4mm compared to 9.1mm on the Pro 3. The new LCD array is brighter and sharper with 2736 x 1824 resolution at 267 ppi. There’s a new Windows Hello compatible camera above the display, allowing users to log in via a face scan.
Surface Book: The 13.5-inch screen detaches from the keyboard, transforming it into a tablet or it can be turned into a slate-like ‘creative canvas’ by turning the screen around and reattaching it to the unique hinge.
New Type Cover
Surface Pro 4: The Surface Pro 4 Type Cover brings significant improvements over the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover, including 1.4mm key travel (the same as on the MacBook Pro), new chiclet-style keys and a larger footprint. The trackpad is 40 percent larger and has a glass surface. It is worth noting that the Surface Pro 3 Type Cover is compatible with the Pro 4, so need to buy a new Type Cover is you are upgrading.
If you are sticking with your Surface Pro 3 but like the sound of the new Type Cover, you’ll be glad to hear it will also work with your Pro 3.
New Surface Pen
The Surface Pen has a new nib that provides better resistance and you can now buy additional nibs with varying textures – think No. 2 pencil vs. fine point pen.
Perhaps the single biggest improvement is that the pen now attaches to the side of the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book magnetically.
Processor and storage
You can expect significant performance improvements from both the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book thanks to sixth-generation Intel (Skylake) processors (up to Core i7) and up to 16GB of RAM. The Surface Book has a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GPU – good news for gamers. Internal storage options have also received a bump up to 1TB.
In addition to these technical specifications and highlights, you can use Microsoft’s short questionnaire to help you choose the right Surface device if you’re still unsure.
The Surface Pro 4 is available for pre-order now and starts shipping October 26th. Pre-order for the Surface Book start October 7th and shipments are slated to kick off October 26th.
See the Surface Pro 4 in action:
Image via Microsoft
A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:
Your vote of support is important to us and it helps us keep the content FREE.
One click below supports our mission to provide free, deep, and relevant content.
Join our community on YouTube
Join the community that includes more than 15,000 #CubeAlumni experts, including Amazon.com CEO Andy Jassy, Dell Technologies founder and CEO Michael Dell, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, and many more luminaries and experts.
THANK YOU
