Microsoft Surface Pro 3 vs Apple iPad Air vs Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2: specs comparison
The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 has just gone official and it is one of the largest tablets out there with a massive, 12-inch display. However, Microsoft aims for the Surface Pro 3 to be much more than a regular tablet - it wants customers to use this as the one cross-over device that would come in lieu of using both a laptop and a tablet.
In order for this to happen, though, the Surface Pro 3 has to be good first as a tablet. Let’s see how it fares against its most obvious competitors: the 9.7-inch Apple iPad Air and the 12.2-inch Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2.
In terms of specs, the Surface Pro 3 is truly outstanding - it ships with a 4th generation (Haswell) Intel Core chip with the performance of a full-blown laptop. Even the basic model ships with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, and the highest-end model reaching a configuration with a blazing-fast Core i7, 8 gigs of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Here are all the models of the Pro 3 that you'd be able to get:
In terms of specs, the Surface Pro 3 is truly outstanding - it ships with a 4th generation (Haswell) Intel Core chip with the performance of a full-blown laptop. Even the basic model ships with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, and the highest-end model reaching a configuration with a blazing-fast Core i7, 8 gigs of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. Here are all the models of the Pro 3 that you'd be able to get:
- 4th gen Intel® Core™ i3, 64 GB and 4 GB of RAM - $799
- 4th gen Intel® Core™ i5, 128 GB and 4 GB of RAM - $999
- 4th gen Intel® Core™ i5, 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM - $1,299
- 4th gen Intel® Core™ i7, 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM - $1,549
- 4th gen Intel® Core™ i7, 512 GB and 8 GB of RAM - $1,949
Put simply, even the most affordable Pro 3 is much more powerful than the iPad Air and the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, but hey, we should not forget how much more expensive even that 'affordable' model is compared to those tablets. Right below we compare the Core i7 Surface Pro 3 with the Note Pro 12.2 and iPad Air in greater detail, take a look at the huge difference. Have specs convinced you to order a Surface Pro 3? Let us know what you think about it in the comment section below.
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|
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| Microsoft Surface Pro 3 | Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 | Apple iPad Air |
Design
| Dimensions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.36 inches 292 x 201 x 9 mm |
11.64 x 8.03 x 0.31 inches 295.6 x 204 x 7.95 mm |
9.45 x 6.67 x 0.30 inches 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm |
| Weight | ||
| 28.16 oz / 798.0 g | 26.56 oz / 753.0 g | 16.86 oz / 478.0 g |
| Materials | ||
| Back: Metal | Back: Aluminum | |
| Features | ||
| Stylus | Stylus | |
| Keys | ||
| Left: Volume control | Right: Volume control, Other | |
| Colors | ||
| Gray | Black, Gray, Silver, White | |
| Tablet dock | ||
| Dock Features: USB | ||
| Dock Features | ||
| USB | ||
Display
| Size | ||
|---|---|---|
| 12.0-inch, 72.88% screen-to-body | 12.2-inch, 71.57% screen-to-body | 9.7-inch, 71.65% screen-to-body |
| Type | ||
| IPS LCD | Super Clear LCD | IPS LCD |
| Resolution | ||
| 1440x2160px, 216 PPI | 1600x2560px, 247 PPI | 1536x2048px, 264 PPI |
| Colors | ||
| 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | |
| Features | ||
| Oleophobic coating, Ambient light sensor | ||
Hardware
| System chip | ||
|---|---|---|
| Intel Core i7 | Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 | Apple A7 |
| Processor | ||
| Quad-core 2300 MHz Krait 400 |
Dual-core 1400 MHz Cyclone |
|
| GPU | ||
| Intel HD | Adreno 330 | PowerVR G6430 |
| Memory | ||
| 8GB (LPDDR3)/512GB 4GB/64GB 4GB/128GB 8GB/256GB |
3GB (LPDDR3)/64GB 3GB/32GB |
1GB (LPDDR3)/128GB 1GB/16GB 1GB/32GB 1GB/64GB 1GB/128GB |
| Storage expansion | ||
| microSDHC | microSDHC up to 64 GB | |
| OS | ||
| Windows (8.1 Pro) | Android (5.0 Lollipop, 4.4) | iOS (12.x, 11.x, 10.x, 9.x, 8.x, 7.x) |
Battery
| Type | ||
|---|---|---|
| 9500 mAh | 8820 mAh, Li - Polymer | |
Camera
| Rear | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single camera | Single camera | Single camera |
| Main camera | ||
| 5 MP | 8 MP (Autofocus) | 5 MP (Autofocus, BSI sensor) Aperture size: F2.4 Focal length: 33 mm |
| Flash | ||
| LED | ||
| Video recording | ||
| 1080p | 1080p (30 fps) | 1080p (30 fps) Time-lapse video, EIS, Video calling |
| Front | ||
| 5 MP Video capture: 1080p | 2 MP Video capture: 1080p | 1.2 MP Video capture: 720p (30 fps) |
Connectivity & Features
| Bluetooth | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| WLAN | ||
| a,b,g,n,ac,dual-band 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac | a,b,g,n,dual-band,ac MIMO, Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac | a,b,g,n,dual-band Multiple antennas, MIMO, Hotspot 802.11 a, b, g, n |
| USB | ||
| Full-size USB, USB 3.0 | microUSB, USB 3.0 | Lightning |
| Sensors | ||
| Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor | Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Ambient light sensor |
| Location | ||
| GPS, A-GPS, Glonass | A-GPS, Glonass, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning | |
| Other | ||
| ANT+, Infrared, Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync | Tethering, Computer sync, OTA sync, AirDrop | |
Multimedia
| Headphones | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack | 3.5mm jack |
| Speakers | ||
| Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers | Multiple speakers |
| Features | ||
| Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback | Album art cover, Background playback |
| Screen mirroring | ||
| Mini Displayport | TV-out | |
| Additional microphone(s) | ||
| Yes | Yes | |
Cellular
| 4G (FDD) Bands | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 | ||
| 3G Bands | ||
| 5, 8, 2, 1 | 5, 8, 2, 1 | |
| Data Speed | ||
| LTE Cat 4 (150/50 Mbit/s), LTE, HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, UMTS | LTE, HSPA, UMTS | |
| SIM type | ||
| Nano SIM | ||
Phone Features
| Notifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Flight mode, Silent mode, Speakerphone | Flight mode, Silent mode | |
| Other features | ||
| Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording | Voice commands, Voice recording |
Regulatory Approval
| FCC approval | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date approved: Oct 22, 2013 FCC ID value: BCGA1475 | ||
| Measured SAR | ||
| Body: 1.19 W/kg Simultaneous Transmission: 1.33 W/kg |
||
Availability
| Officially announced | ||
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2014 | Jan 06, 2014 | Oct 22, 2013 |
| Prices (MSRP) | ||
| $1949 | $929 | |
See the full
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 vs Samsung Galaxy NotePRO 12.2 vs Apple iPad Air specs comparison
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