News
Microsoft Surface Competitors Crowd the Market
New entries from Apple, Lenovo and others are giving Microsoft’s category-breaking tablet a run for its money.
- By Gladys Rama
- December 01, 2015
When Microsoft first launched the Surface in 2012, reviewers were confounded. Its design, which managed to be both flashy and functional, was met largely with praise. At the time, the Surface was the first mainstream tablet to have a built-in kickstand, and the first to be paired with a magnetic cover that doubles as a keyboard. Physically, at least, the Surface looked like it could deliver on Microsoft’s promise to elevate the tablet from a leisure device to a work device.
But then, there was the matter of actually using it. The first Surface devices to ever hit the market ran Windows RT, a stripped-down version of Windows 8 that users panned for its dearth of apps. There was also the price. At the time, the lowest-end Surface device cost $499 without a keyboard -- basically, as much as an Apple iPad but without the performance. Adding the keyboard would've cost another $100.
The first-generation Surface, in a word, flopped. Microsoft was forced to take a $900 million charge on its Surface inventory, resulting in a $34 billion drop in the company's market value. Shareholders even went so far as to sue Microsoft for allegedly misrepresenting Surface sales.
Microsoft threw its back into the device, though, finally hitting gold with the Surface Pro 3. Now in its fourth iteration, the Surface seems to be the standard-bearer of the "productivity tablet" market, with other hardware makers -- notably Apple Inc. -- joining the fray with their own Surface lookalikes. Here's a look at the current field:
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
| OS |
Windows 10 Pro |
| Price |
$900 to $2,700 (includes Surface Pen) |
| Accessories |
$130 Type Cover, $200 Surface Dock |
| Storage |
128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB |
| Processor |
6th Gen Intel Core m3, i5 or i7 |
| Display |
12.3-inch screen with 2736x1824 resolution |
| Camera |
5MP front-facing HD camera and 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video recording capability |
| Battery |
Up to 9 hours |
Apple iPad Pro
| OS |
iOS 9 |
| Price |
$800 to $1,080 |
| Accessories |
$100 Apple Pencil, $170 Smart Keyboard |
| Storage |
32GB or 128GB |
| Processor |
Apple A9X |
| Display |
12.9-inch screen with 2732x2048 resolution |
| Camera |
1.2MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear-facing camera with 1080p HD video recording capability |
| Battery |
Up to 10 hours |
Google Pixel C
| OS |
Android 6.0 Marshmallow |
| Price |
$500 to $600 |
| Accessories |
$150 keyboard |
| Storage |
32GB to 64GB of RAM |
| Processor |
Nvidia Tegra X1 quad-core processor |
| Display |
10.2-inch screen with 2560x1800 resolution |
VAIO Z Canvas
| OS |
Windows 10 Pro 64-bit |
| Price |
$2,200 to $3,100 (includes keyboard and stylus) |
| Storage |
256GB, 512GB or 1TB |
| Processor |
Intel Core i7 |
| Display |
12.3-inch screen with 2560x1704 resolution |
| Camera |
0.92MP front-facing camera and 8MP rear-facing camera |
Lenovo Ideapad Miix 700
| OS |
Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home |
| Price |
Starts at $700 (includes keyboard) |
| Accessories |
Stylus (price not available as of this writing) |
| Storage |
Up to 256GB |
| Processor |
Up to 6th Gen Intel Core m7 |
| Display |
12-inch screen with 2160x1440 resolution |
| Camera |
5MP front-facing camera and 5MP rear-facing camera with optional Intel RealSense 3D camera |
| Battery |
Up to 9 hours |
HP Elite x2 1012 G1
| OS |
Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home |
| Price |
$900 to $1,500 (includes keyboard and pen) |
| Accessories |
HP Wireless Docking Station |
| Storage |
128GB to 512GB SSD |
| Processor |
Intel Core m7, m5 or m3 |
| Display |
12-inch screen with 1920x1280 resolution |
| Camera |
2MP front-facing camera and 5MP rear-facing camera |
| Battery |
Up to 10 hours |