Apple unveiled a wide range of new products yesterday, including its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, a big update for its watchOS, and a new version of its Apple TV multimedia box. But it also unveiled another significant device, which is going up against Microsoft"s flagship tablet.
The new iPad Pro certainly appears to have drawn at least some inspiration from Microsoft"s Surface Pro 3. The Apple device has an even larger display (12.9-inch) than that of the Surface (12-inch), with higher resolution too - but while the iPad Pro doesn"t have an integrated kickstand, there are other obvious similarities.
For a start, Apple evidently sees the value of a physical keyboard when it comes to getting stuff done on the move. While the company talked up the quality of its on-screen keyboard in the announcement, it"s also releasing a "Smart Keyboard" cover for the device, and with its built-in stand, this allows the iPad Pro to match the same functionality on the Surface Pro 3 (although whether or not it matches the Surface"s "lapability" remains to be seen).
At $169, Apple"s keyboard cover is more expensive than Microsoft"s ($130) though, and Apple is also charging $99 for the "Pencil" stylus that it"s offering alongside the iPad Pro, whereas the Surface Pen is included in the price of the Pro 3. Both companies" devices start from $799.
But beyond these obvious similarities, how does the iPad Pro really compare with the Surface Pro 3? Until we can get our paws on the new tablet, we can only speculate about how their performance compares in the real world - but for now, we can at least see how they compare on paper:
It"s important to bear in mind, however, that the Surface Pro 3 is now over a year old, having first gone on sale in June 2014.
But it won"t have to fight against the iPad Pro for long - the new Surface Pro 4 will be unveiled in just a few weeks" time, with 6th-generation Intel Skylake processors bringing improvements in performance and power management.
What do you think of the iPad Pro? Is it the big, beautiful and capable device you hoped it would be? Or are you eager to see what Microsoft has to offer with the Surface Pro 4 before you make your mind up? Be sure to share your thoughts below!
* Note: Apple has not yet confirmed that the iPad Pro has 4GB of RAM - however, as ZDNet reports, Adobe has apparently revealed this to be the case.