Surface Pro 5: Top Three Rumored Features That Will Dominate The iPad Pro 2

The hybrid market is set to be very competitive this year, with the upcoming release of powerful devices such as the Surface Pro 5 and the iPad Pro 2. While Apple’s powerhouse tablet is set to be the tech giant’s most formidable mobile device yet, Microsoft’s champion in the hybrid stage appears to be a league beyond its biggest rival. Here are three features that would allow the Microsoft Surface Pro 5 to dominate Apple’s iPad Pro 2.

Kaby Lake Processors

One thing that has become synonymous with the Surface Pro series is the devices’ powerful processors. Instead of utilizing chips that are designed for mobile devices, machines such as Microsoft’s current two-in-one flagship, the Surface Pro 4, are equipped with laptop-grade processors. This means that unlike the iPad Pro 2, which is expected to come with an A10X processor, the Surface Pro 5 would most likely be released with Intel’s seventh-generation Kaby Lake chips, according to Trusted Reviews.

While Apple’s A10X would definitely be a formidable processor on its own, there’s a good chance that it would pale in comparison to a Kaby Lake Intel i5 or i7-series chip. Overall, while the A10X would make the iPad Pro 2 into a powerful tablet, it would still be a mobile device at its core. On the other hand, the Surface Pro 5, with its laptop-grade processors, would be a full-fledged productivity machine that is comparable to a capable PC.

Surface Dial, Keyboard, And Pen

The success of hybrid devices on the market depends largely on how effective their accessories are. With the iPad Pro 2, these would be the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil, and with the Surface Pro 5, these accessories would be the Surface Keyboard and Surface Pen. If rumors are to be believed, however, the Surface Pro 5 would also come equipped with a smaller version of the Surface Studio’s Surface Dial, the all-in-one’s revolutionary tool.

The quality of the Surface Keyboard already far surpasses Apple’s Smart Keyboard, and the Surface Pen is already more than a match for the Apple Pencil. What might ultimately seal the iPad Pro 2’s fate, however, would be the inclusion of the Surface Dial, which would undoubtedly boost the productivity capabilities of Microsoft’s upcoming two-in-one. After all, the tool’s usefulness in numerous apps is undeniable, as proven by users of the Surface Studio.

Windows 10

One thing that users of the original iPad Pro noted is that the tablet, while extremely powerful and robust, was still running iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system, according to MacRumors. Thus, there are a number of tasks that the Cupertino-based tech giant’s device could simply not perform very well, such as true multitasking with multiple apps and windows that are open at the same time. Unfortunately for the iPad Pro 2, Apple has all but confirmed that the upcoming tablet would still be running iOS. This problem, however, does not exist with the Surface Pro 5.

The Surface Pro 5 runs the full version of Windows 10, the same operating system that runs on full-fledged laptops and powerful desktop computers. This is not all, however, as the robust operating system actually runs very well on the portable hybrid device. Thus, in terms of the devices’ operating systems, the capabilities of the iPad Pro 2’s iOS could simply not hold a candle to the Surface Pro 5’s Windows 10.

The Surface Pro 5 is speculated to be released during the first half of 2017, with rumors stating that the device would see an announcement within the next few weeks. Inasmuch as the Surface Pro 5 might be announced soon, however, the iPad Pro 2 is also speculated to be released sometime within the next month. With this, the clash between Microsoft and Apple’s hybrid devices might come sooner than everyone expects.

[Featured Image by Andrew Burton/Getty Images]