iPad Pro 2018 vs. Pixel Slate vs. Surface Pro 6: All specs, compared
Apple gears up to do battle with Microsoft and Google in the premium tablet market.
- Coauthor of Uninvested (Random House, 2015)
Apple has given the iPad Pro its biggest makeover since first introducing the premium tablet back in 2015.
After souping up the entry-level iPad in March, adding Pencil support and a faster processor but keeping the price at $329, Apple desperately needed to put the "Pro" back into the iPad Pro. Today's update achieves that -- though it also pushes the devices' prices further into the stratosphere.
The new 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, and the revamped 12.9-inch model starts at $999. The 10.5-inch edition released in 2017 still starts at $649. And, of course, those prices don't include two arguably vital accessories -- the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard , both of which were also updated today.
The new $129 Pencil features wireless charging and new gesture controls and the new Smart Keyboard Folio has a new magnetic array and costs $179 for the 11-inch version or $199 for the 12.9-inch model. The older version of the keyboard and Pencil, which work with previous-generation iPads, cost $159 and $99, respectively.
Despite the price bump, Apple hopes the new iPad Pros, and their updated accessories, will be better-equipped to compete with a new crop of contemporary tablets . Microsoft's Surface Pro 6, which starts at $899, and Google's Pixel Slate, which starts at $599, were both introduced earlier this month and are priced to compete with the new iPad Pros.
Of course, there are lots of good tablets on the market. And there are numerous configuration options and accessories for the iPad Pro, Pixel Slate and Surface Pro 6 . We've assembled the chart below to help you more easily compare these tablets' prices, features and specs.
iPad Pro 2018 vs. Google Pixel Slate vs. Surface Pro 6
| iPad Pro (11-inch, 2018) | iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018) | iPad Pro (10.5-inch, 2017) | Pixel Slate | Surface Pro 6 (2018) | |
| Price | Starts at $799 | Starts at $999 | Starts at $649 | Starts at $599 | Starts at $899 |
| Optional keyboard | $179 | $199 | $159 | $199 | $129 |
| Optional stylus | $129 | $129 | $99 | $99 | $99 |
| Base configuration plus keyboard and stylus | $1,107 | $1,327 | $907 | $897 | $1,127 |
| Display | 11-inch Retina display, 2,388x1,668-pixel resolution (264ppi) | 12.9-inch Retina display, 2,732x2,048 resolution (264 ppi) | 10.5-inch Retina display, 2,224x1,668 resolution (264 ppi) | 12.3-inch Molecular display, 3,000x2,000 resolution (293 ppi) | 12.3-inch PixelSense display, 2,736x1,824 resolution (267 ppi) |
| Processor | A12X Bionic | A12X Bionic | A10X Fusion | 8th Gen Intel Celeron or Core m3, i5, i7 | 8th Gen Intel Core i5, i7 |
| RAM | TBD | TBD | 4GB | 4GB / 8GB / 16GB | 8GB / 16GB |
| Storage | 64GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1T | 64GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1T | 64GB / 256GB / 512GB | 32GB / 64GB / 128GB / 256GB | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1T |
| SIM card support for cellular model | Nano-SIM; eSIM | Nano-SIM; eSIM | Nano-SIM; embedded | None | None |
| Wireless | Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 | Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 | 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports | USB-C, Smart Connector | USB-C, Smart Connector | Lightning connector, Smart Connector, 3.5mm headphone jack | Two USB-C, Pixel Slate keyboard port | Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover port, MicroSDXC, USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Cameras | Front: 7-megapixel TrueDepth with support for Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, rear: 12-megapixel | Front: 7-megapixel TrueDepth with support for Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, rear: 12-megapixel | Front: 7-megapixel, rear: 12-megapixel | Front: 8-megapixel, rear: 8-megapixel | Front: 5-megapixel with support for Windows Hello, rear: 8-megapixel |
| OS | iOS 12 | iOS 12 | iOS 12 | Chrome OS | Windows 10 Home |
| Dimensions (HWD) | 9.7 x 7.0 x 0.23 inches | 11.0 x 8.5 x 0.23 inches | 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 inches | 11.5 x 8.0 x 0.27 inches | 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches |
| Weight | 1.0 lb. | 1.4 lbs. | 1.0 lb. | 1.6 lbs. | 1.7 lbs. |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours | Up to 10 hours | Up to 13.5 hours |
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