Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 6 ($899+), the Surface Laptop 2 ($999+) and the Surface Studio 2 ($3,499), each of which is the next-gen model of Microsoft’s previous 2-in-1 tablet, laptop and desktop computer, respectively.
There’s no big surprise here in terms of form factors, as each device in Microsoft’s new Surface line bares a similar look and feel of its predecessor. (Although the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Laptop 2 are now available in matte black, which is a first.) But the new Surface devices are way more powerful and way faster, and they come with significantly upgraded displays – which you’d admittedly expect in a next-gen device.
The real question is, however, how Microsoft’s new devices stack up to Apple’s alternatives? We haven’t tested any of Microsoft’s new Surface devices, remember, so we can’t accurately compare how one device compares to another. But we still wanted to give a quick rundown of how each compares to their made-in-Cupertino competition.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (An iPad Pro Rival)
The Surface Pro 6 is a pretty significant upgrade over its predecessor, the Surface Pro 5, in terms of power. It packs Intel’s latest 8th-gen quad-core processor – it’s the first-ever quad-core processor in a 2-in-1 form factor, according to Panos Panay, Microsoft’s chief product officer – which enables the Surface Pro 6 to be 67 percent faster. It has a 12.3-inch display (267ppi), which is pretty identical to the Surface Pro 5, however, but the new model has a higher contrast ratio so it’s supposed to look nicer.
