Microsoft offers a slew of robust devices which are not only feature-rich, but also affordable and stylish looking. We check out how the Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3 compare against each other.
Display
The Surface Pro 4 sports a 12.3-inch PixelSense display which boasts a resolution of 2,736 x 1,824 pixels (267 ppi).
By comparison, the Surface Book offers a bigger 13.5-inch PixelSense display with a higher resolution of 3,000 x 2,000 pixels. The pixel density of 267ppi is the same as the Surface Pro 4.
The Surface Pro 3 sports a 12-inch ClearType Full HD Plus screen which is marginally smaller than that of its successor the Surface Pro 4. The tablet has a resolution of 2,160 x 1,440 pixels and 216 ppi pixel density.
The Surface 3 tablet also has a ClearType Full HD Plus screen but at 10.8 inches, its display size is the smallest of the four Microsoft tablets. The tablet has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,280 pixels and 216 ppi pixel density.
All four tablets have a 3:2 ratio and offer 10-point multi-touch and Surface Pen support.
Weight
The Surface Pro 4 weighs 766 grams (27 ounces) or 786 grams (28 ounces) depending on the processor it houses. The Surface 3 is lighter and weighs only 622 grams (29 ounces). The Surface Pro 3 is heavier than these two tablets and weighs 800 grams (28 ounces).
The Surface Book is heaviest of the lot thanks to its keyboard and weighs 1,516 grams (53 ounces).
Processor and RAM
The Surface Pro 4 comes with one of the sixth-gen Intel Core processors: the m3, i5, or i7. It supports 4 GB, 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM.
The Surface Pro 3 comes with either of the fourth-gen Intel Core processors: the i3, i5, or i7. It supports 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM.
The Surface Book comes with either of the sixth-gen Intel Core processors: the i5, or i7. It supports 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM.
The Surface 3 houses the Quad-Core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor. It supports 2 GB or 4 GB of RAM.
Camera
Both the Surface Book and the Surface Pro 4 sport an 8 MP rear-facing camera and a 5 MP selfie camera. By contrast, the Surface Pro 3 only has a 5 MP front-facing camera. The Surface 3 has a 3.5 MP selfie camera, which is the least powerful of the four. However, the rear-facing camera on the tablet is also 8 MP.
Storage
The Surface Pro 4 is available in 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1TB internal storage options. One also has the option to increase the storage with a microSD card.
The Surface Pro 3 is available in 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB internal storage options. One also has the option to increase the storage with a microSD card.
The Surface Book is available in 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB and 1TB internal storage options. One also has the option to increase the storage with a microSD card.
The Surface 3 is available in 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage options. One also has the option to increase the storage with a microSD card.
Of the four, only the Surface 3 seems a little lackluster and pales in comparison when it comes to on-board memory storage options.
Stylus
The Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book come with the free Surface Pen stylus. However, the Surface Pro 3 and Surface 3 do not come with the stylus.
Operating System
The Surface Pro 4, Surface Book and Surface Pro 3 run on the new Windows 10 Pro operating system. The Surface 3 runs on Windows 10.
Battery Life
The Surface Pro 4 offers support for up to nine hours of video playback use on a single charge, which is less when compared to the 12 hours and 10 hours offered by the Surface Book and the Surface 3, respectively.
The Surface Pro 3 offers nine hours of battery life for web browsing.
Price
The base model of the Surface Pro 4 128 GB with an Intel Core m3 processor starts at $899. The Surface Pro 3 128 GB with Intel Core i3 is priced at $899 but is now available for $599 for a limited period. The Microsoft Surface book starts at $1,499 (128 GB Intel Core i5 8 GB version). The Surface 3 at $399 starts (64 GB 2 GB of RAM version) and was $499 originally.
