iPad Air 2 vs. Surface Pro 3: Big-Screen Tablets Compared

Apple has just announced the latest member of its iPad Air family, the iPad Air 2. And though it’s a modest improvement over its predecessor, if it’s anywhere near as good as the first iPad Air, the Air 2 is sure to be an impressive slate.

With its nearly 9-inch display, the iPad Air 2 falls squarely into the full-size tablet category. And what is one of the Air 2’s biggest competitors in this genre of slates? Why, none other than Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3.

We chose the Surface Pro 3 rather than an Android tablet, because the Surface was one of the last big slates to hit the market. If you want to see an iPad face off against an Android tablet, see our comparison of the new iPad mini 3 with Samsung’s Android-powered Galaxy Tab 8.4.

So how does Apple’s latest tablet match up to Microsoft’s offering? Let’s take a look.

Size
The main benefit to the iPad Air 2 is its slim, lightweight design. Measuring just 9.4 inches tall and 0.24 inches thick, the iPad Air is the thinnest tablet on the planet. And at just 1 pound, the Air 2 is so light you can pack it in your bag and never notice it’s there.

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 packs a bigger display than the iPad Air 2, which means the slate is significantly larger than Apple’s. Measuring 11.5 × 7.9 × 0.36 inches, the Surface Pro is still relatively thin despite the fact that it features a full-size USB 3.0 port and built-in kickstand. That said, at 1.8 pounds, the Surface Pro 3 is nearly a pound heavier than the Air 2.

Display
The iPad Air 2’s 9.7-inch Retina display packs a resolution of 2048 × 1536, the same as the previous-generation Air. This time around, however, Apple added a new anti-reflective surface that helps reduce glare.

If the new iPad’s screen is anything like its predecessor’s, it should prove excellent for doing everything from browsing the Web to reading books to playing games and watching movies.

The Surface Pro 3 features a larger 12-inch screen with a resolution of 2160 × 1440. Like the original iPad Air, the Surface Pro 3’s display offers spectacular image quality.

Camera
Apple has given the iPad Air 2 a new 8-megapixel iSight camera. The tablet’s front camera also gets enhancements, which should make selfies and video chats look crisper and cleaner.

Microsoft’s tablet features a 5-megapixel rear camera that captures fairly grainy images. Photos tend to come out a bit distorted, and colors look washed out. Up front, the Surface Pro 3 sports a 5-megapixel camera, which is wonderful for Skyping with friends and family.

Special features
The iPad Air 2, like Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, gets a new Touch ID fingerprint reader on its home button, which means you no longer have to type in a password to unlock the slate. The Air 2 also gets access to Apple’s new Apple Pay payment system, which means you’ll be able to make purchases online with ease, though you won’t be able to make payments at store checkout counters like you can with the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPad Air 2 also gets a new 64-bit A8X processor, which promises 40 percent better performance and improved graphics.

One of the Surface Pro 3’s biggest advantages over the iPad is its built-in kickstand. Able to bend to almost any angle, the kickstand props up the Pro 3 so you can set the tablet down on your desk and watch a movie. Snap in the optional Type Cover keyboard, and the Pro 3 goes from tablet to laptop hybrid in an instant, letting you be as productive as you would be on a standard PC.

Oh, and the Surface Pro 3 is powered by a laptop-grade Intel processor and can run full Windows programs, not just apps. That’s huge.

Outlook
Apple’s iPad Air 2 will likely sell in huge numbers when it finally hits the market. As usual, the new iPad will cost $499 for a 16 GB version. That’s $300 less than the Surface Pro 3, though, as we pointed out, the Pro 3 can also run all your favorite Windows programs. What’s more, a 64 GB version of the iPad Air 2 will run you $599. At that point, the Pro 3’s price begins to look a bit more reasonable.

Which tablet would you rather buy? Sound off in the comments below.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley or on Google+ here.