Microsoft Surface Pro 4 vs iPad Pro vs MacBook Air 2015: How do they compare?

Microsoft Surface Pro 4Microsoft official website

The iPad Pro and the new Microsoft Surface Pro 4 are set to release this November and there are rumors of a new MacBook Air releasing in 2016. This is a comparison of the three devices to determine which one offers the most features for its retail price.

The Surface Pro 4 comes in different variations depending on its processor. Like previous iterations, it will be offered with an i3, i5 or i7 processor with processing speed ranging from 4 GB to 16 GB, according to Extreme Tech. The cheapest model offers 128 GB of storage and can go up to 1 TB.

In comparison, the iPad Pro comes with the improved A9X chip. However the specifics of what this processor can do have not yet been released yet. The Macbook Air 2015 uses the 1.1-GHz dual-core Intel Core M processor, which can be Turbo Boosted to 2.4 GHz.  It is speculated that the MacBook Air 2016 will make use of the upcoming Intel "Skylake" processors, which may give it an edge over the Surface Pro 4.

iPad ProApple official website

Comparing iOS 9 to Windows 10 isn't fair since the latter is a far more robust operating system designed for desktops and then simply re-customized to have touch-screen and mobile-optimized features for the Surface Pro 4. The real comparison is between the Surface Pro 4's Windows 10 and the MacBook Air's Mac OS X El Capitan.

Windows 10 has taken the steps to incorporate many of the gaming needs that were in Windows 7 but missing from Windows 8, and Microsoft has integrated many games in their new Microsoft Store. There is also the new option of playing Xbox One games on Windows 10 machines, making the Surface Pro 10 a more diverse OS.

In terms of price, the iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 32-GB model while the MacBook Air starts at $1,299. The Surface Pro 4 starting price is at $899 but for a $100 difference it already offers 128 GB of space and USB 3.0 support.