UPDATED 04:24 EDT / OCTOBER 08 2015

NEWS

Surface Pro 4 vs. HP Spectre x2 vs. Lenovo MIIX 700 vs. Dell XPS 12: Latest 2-in-1 Windows tablets duke it out

The last few months of 2015 are turning into a 2-in-1 Windows tablet bonanza for consumers. Hot on the heels of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 announcement on Tuesday, Hewlett-Packard Co. on Wednesday unveiled a similar 2-in-1 Windows tablet, the HP Spectre x2.

In early September Lenovo Group Ltd. announced a 2-in-1 tablet addition to its ideapad range, the Lenovo MIIX 700, and recently more details of Dell Inc.’s upcoming Dell XPS 12 have leaked online.

If you are keeping count, that makes four new Windows 10-based, 2-in-1 tablets to choose from. But just how do you decide which one is right for you? While it’s likely to be a matter of personal preference, we want to help you decide by comparing the technical features of each and highlight some of the differences.

Surface Pro 4 vs. HP Spectre x2 vs. Lenovo MIIX 700 vs. Dell XPS 12: Tech specs

 

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

HP Spectre x2 Lenovo MIIX 700

Dell XPS 12 

Operating system

Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10 Home Up to Windows 10 Pro

Windows 10

Display

12.3-inch PixelTouch

12.0-inch WUXGA+ IPS WLED-backlit IPS touchscreen 12-inch full-HD+

12.5-inch

Resolution

2736 x 1824 at 267 ppi

1920 x 1280 Full HD 2160 x 1440 pixels, 300 nits

Full HD or 4K Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 at 352 ppi

Processor

6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5, or i7, Intel Iris 540 GPU (i7 only)

6th generation Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor, integrated Intel HD graphics Up to 6th Generation Intel Core m7 processor, integrated Intel HD graphics

Up to 6th Generation Intel Core m7 processor, integrated Intel HD graphics

RAM

4GB, 8GB, or 16GB

Up to 8GB Up to 8GB

4GB or 8GB

Storage

128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB

128GB, 256GB or 512GB Up to 256GB SSD

128GB or 256GB

Ports

Full-size USB 3.0, microSD card reader, Headset jack, Mini DisplayPort, Cover port. SurfaceConnect

2x USB type C connectors with SuperSpeed USB 3.0, all supporting sleep and charge, Headphone-out/microphone-in combo jack USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Micro HDMI-out, Micro Sim (LTE / 3G only), microSD slot, and an audio combo jack.

2x Thunderbolt 3 enabled USB type C ports, HDMI port, SD card reader

Front Camera

5.0-megapixel

5.0-megapixel  HP TrueVision HD 5.0-megapixel

5.0-megapixel

Rear Camera

8.0-megapixel

8.0-megapixel  HP TrueVision HD, Intel RealSense 3D camera 5.0-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus and flash as standard, optional extra is Intel’s RealSense 3D camera

8.0-megapixel

Battery

Up to 9 hours video playback

Up to 10 hours Up to 9 hours video playback

TBD

Dimensions (Inches)

11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33

11.81 x 8.23 x 0.31 11.5 x 8.3 x 0.35

0.31 thick, length and depth TBD

Weight (Pounds)

1.69 without Type Cover

1.84 without keyboard 1.7

1.74

Base price

Starting at $899.00

Starting at $799.99 Starting at $699

Starting at $999

Stylus/Keyboard

Surface Pro 4 Type Cover ($129.99), Surface Pen included

Full-sized backlit detachablekeyboard (included), Pressure-sensitive Wacom-made active pen (sold separately) Keyboard included, no stylus confirmed

Mobility base with full-size backlit keyboard and Dell Premier Portfolio included, support for Dell Pen Active (sold separately)

Display

At 12.3-inches, the Surface Pro boasts a bigger screen than the HP Spectre x2 and Lenovo MIIX 700 (both have 12-inch displays), but comes in slightly smaller than the rumored 12.5-inch screen of the Dell XPS 12.

The higher-end Dell XPS 12 is the clear leader here with a 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) display at 352 ppi while the base model offers a full HD display.

The Surface Pro 4 improves on the display found on the Surface Pro 3, offering 2736 x 1824 pixels at 267 ppi. The HP Spectre x2 disappoints in this department and has a not-so-impressive 1920 x 1280 resolution Full HD display. The MIIX 700 tops the HP’s display with 2160 x 1440 resolution and brightness at 300 nits.

Internal components

When it comes to processing power, the Surface Pro 4 is the clear leader. Although the entry level version comes with a sixth-generation Intel Core m3 CPU, there are also Core i5 and Core i7 versions. The Core i7 chip is paired with a dedicated Intel Iris 540 GPU.

The HP Spectre x2 sticks to a sixth-generation Intel Core m3 CPU while the MIIX 700 and Dell XPS 12 are available with the Core m7 version of the same CPU.

On the memory front, the Surface Pro 4 also takes first spot with up to 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage while the rest of the pack top out at 8GB of RAM and the HP Spectre x2 gets the closest with 512GB of storage.

Cameras

There’s not much between the cameras on these devices, but the HP Spectre x2 does come with Intel’s RealSense 3D camera as standard while it’s an optional extra on the MIIX 700 and doesn’t feature on the Surface Pro 4 or Dell XPS 12 at all.

We know for a fact that the Surface Pro 4 supports Windows Hello, Microsoft’s facial scanning feature used to log in without the need to type a password.

Stylus and keyboard

All four devices have detachable keyboards, each with its own spin on design. The biggest consideration is whether the keyboard is included or an optional extra.

The MIIX 700, HP Spectre x2, and Dell XPS12 come with the keyboard included in the base price while the Surface Pro 4’s is an optional extra.

The MIXX 700 is the only tablet that does not have an optional stylus available, although several third-party styli should work with compatible applications.

A Surface Pen is included with the Surface Pro 4 while the Wacom-made active pen for the HP Spectre x2 is sold separately. The Dell XPS 12 has support for a Dell Pen Active, sold separately.

Update: An earlier version of this article included rumored specs for the Dell XPS 12. Following Dell’s press release, actual specs have been substituted where possible.

Main image: HP

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