Surface Pro 4 vs MacBook Air 2016; Amazon offers discounted Pro 3, Microsoft claims Pro 4 is faster

Microsoft Surface Pro 4Microsoft official website

After months of speculations, Surface Pro 4 was finally introduced last Oct. 6 at Microsoft's Windows 10 press event. Pre-orders for the device have already started since its scheduled release date is nearing.

All in all, the new Surface Pro 4 from Microsoft is more or less the same as its predecessor — it has a kick stand plus a detachable keyboard. However, it is expected that the tech giant has incorporated significant upgrades to the device.

First off, the Pro 4 has a larger screen than Pro 3, measuring at 12.3 inches — just 0.3 inches bigger than its predecessor.

The screen has a resolution of 2,736 x 1,824 pixels and its larger size is accommodated by the smaller bezel. Pro 4 also sports a thinner design, measuring only at 8.4 millimeters.

On the inside, the specs have been upgraded and the device is running on a sixth generation Intel Skylake processor with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB internal storage capacity for the high-end version.

Note that the device comes in different storage variants at different prices starting from $899 all the way to $2,199 when it goes on sale on Oct. 26.

The new Surface tablet also comes with an all-new Surface Pen, which allows users to have improved control on what's written on the tablet. The pen comes with a built-in battery that can sustain a year of usage without recharging.

Surface Pro 4 will serve as MacBook Air's rival because according to the company, it has a 50 percent faster response time than Apple's device. In addition, the improved specs make Pro 4 30 percent faster than its predecessor.

With Surface Pro 4's release approaching, that could only mean one thing for Surface Pro 3 — discounts. International Business Times reported that Pro 3 is for sale at a discounted price at Amazon. The top-end Core i7 512 GB variant usually sells for $1,949; but with the impending release of Pro 4, it is selling at a reduced price giving buyers $339 in savings.

The sweet discounted deals may not be around for long because the report noted that the discounts are offered by third-party vendors in Amazon.