NOVEMBER 2019 PCWorld 17change quickly.
Winner: iPad Pro
ACCESSORIES
Because these are both classified as 2-in-
devices, they each have accessories that turn
them into pseudo-laptops. Apple’s Smart
Keyboard for the iPad Pro will set you back
$199. Microsoft sells a regular Surface Pro X
Keyboard for $140. The Surface Pro X
Signature keyboard, which has a special
charging dock for the Slim Pen, sells in a
bundle with the Slim Pen for $270. However,
both of Microsoft’s Surface Pro X keyboards
include a trackpad for controlling a cursor,
while the iPad Pro’s relies solely on touch,
even with the keyboard attached.
The styli have other differences. The Surface
Slim Pen has some neat Office control tricks built
in, while the Apple Pencil is more of a drawing
tool. Apple’s second-generation Pencil offers
magnetic charging and storage on the iPad
itself, and it costs $129. The Surface Slim Pen,
which is available separately for $145, can
charge via USB-C with an included charging
base, or charge wirelessly when nested in the
Surface Pro X Signature Keyboard.
PRICE
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is available now from
apple.com (go.pcworld.com/ipdr). The
Surface Pro X preorder page on Microsoft.
com (go.pcworld.com/sfpx) is already up,
with a scheduled November shipping
window. As you might have guessed, these
tablets aren’t cheap. You’re looking at four
figures no matter which model you buy, and
possibly a whole lot more—and remember,
these prices do not include the keyboard or
pen accessories:
Surface Pro X, 8GB/128GB: $
Surface Pro X, 8GB/256GB: $1,
Surface Pro X, 16GB/256GB: $1,
Surface Pro X, 16GB/512GB: $1,
iPad Pro, 4GB/64GB: $
iPad Pro, 4GB/256GB: $1,
iPad Pro, 4GB/512GB: $1,
iPad Pro, 4GB/1TB: $1,
While they may look very comparable, the
Surface Pro X includes LTE connectivity on its
price, while Apple charges an extra $150 on
top of the above prices. That means the
Surface shines at the low end, but the high-
end iPad is $1,699, $100 less than the Surface
and with twice as much storage.BOTTOM LINE
Ultimately, the choice between these two
tablets comes down to OS preference, but all
things being equal, the iPad Pro gets the
edge for one reason: We know what we’re
getting. With a new ARM processor, the
Surface Pro X can’t be judged on the strength
of its predecessors, so we’ll need to run a
barrage of tests to see if it’s as good as
Microsoft says it is. But if you need a tablet
right now, go get a 12.9-inch iPad Pro. After
all, you can always sell it later.