We are pitting the current "vertical integration" tablets of the Silicon Valley's big three household names - Microsoft, Apple and Google - to gauge the different paths they are taking into creating their own hardware to go with their renowned software.
Of course, both Google and Microsoft are new at this game, introducing their own tablets just last year, whereas Apple has been a vertically integrated maker for decades now. Still, the Windows and Android brains did very well, and now with the introduction of Surface Pro 2 Microsoft has a chance to be commercially successful as well. Let's see who did what here.
Design
Google took a familiar for its company philosophy approach with the Nexus 10, stressing on top-notch specs yet moderate pricing at the time of introduction, rather than exterior design, which explains why it went with Samsung as an OEM at the first place. Apple's way with the iPad 4 is also well-expected, as it created an elegant device with premium design and an app ecosystem to match, but somewhat limited expansion options.
Microsoft, as usual, threw the kitchen sink at the problem, creating the most powerful of the three devices, with the full Windows 8 might behind its back, with premium looks as well, and somewhat cruder, yet flexible design with expandability. The idea of a tablet is to be a thin and light take-anywhere device, though, so we'll see how Microsoft's 2-pound gorilla will fare in the market, despite the promise of Win 8, its device drivers and the legacy programs support behind its back.
Display
Nexus 10 sports the most resolute display of the three, with the record 2560x1600 pixels for its 10.1" display, and unsurpassed 300ppi pixel density. Next in line is the iPad 4 with the "Retina Display" and 264ppi, while the Surface Pro 2 keeps the "mere" Full HD screen of its predecessor, meaning the 10.6" panel sports 208ppi pixel density, but is the largest of the three.
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All three screens, however, are of excellent quality in terms of colors, brightness, viewing angles and reflectivity, so you won't go wrong with any of them. Apple's iPad 4 display, and the ClearType panel of the new Surface Pro 2, are likely to be more suited for screen purists.
Horse power
We can easily give this round to the Surface Pro 2, as its 4th generation Intel Core i5 "Haswell" architecture will blow out of the water Apple's A6X and Samsung's Exynos 5 chipsets in sheer power alone. With great power comes a small fan, though, and since Microsoft says the Pro 2 is much quieter than its predecessor, we'd wager to guess that there is still a fan inside to cool the scorching Core i5. The ultra low-voltage Haswells that don't require a fan are seemingly not ready for prime time in a retail device just yet. Microsoft bundles its tablet with 4/8 GB of RAM, whereas Apple's iOS makes do with 1 GB, and Google's Android flies with 2 GB of RAM, the exact amount on the Nexus 10, so all three are well-equipped to handle the multitasking demands of their respective operating systems.
Storage
Apple's notorious for being stingy on the internal memory amount, as it makes a bundle on iPad versions with more than 16 GB, and Google seems to have followed suit with just 16 GB as well, and no card slot for expansion. Microsoft, on the other hand, ships the basic Surface Pro 2 with 64 GB, plus a memory card slot, though Win 8 is likely to end up occupying quite a bit of the internal storage amount, so don't pop the champagne just yet.
Misc.
Microsoft's tablet comes with pressure-sensitive stylus, Dolby speakers, a full USB 3.0 and a mini DisplayPort, so you are all set without needing much of additional accessories, plus now it has similar 8-10 hours of battery life as the Android and iOS tablets. Pair that with Windows 8 that has support for more than a million device drivers that can be hooked directly to the tablet, and it is becoming a more serious productivity machine than both the iPad 4 and the Nexus 10.
The iOS and Android slates are thus more media and information consumption oriented, compared to the Surface Pro 2, and it shows in the price range, as the aluminum iPad 4 will start you off at $500, the plastic Nexus 10 begins at $400, while the magnesium-clad Surface Pro 2 tablet commands a veritable PC price of $899.
Whether the Surface Pro 2 WinTel prowess will be enough to entice buyers for paying as much for one as for an iPad 4 and Nexus 10 combined, remains to be seen. Let's not forget we might see new editions of the iPad and Nexus tablet franchises still by year-end, so the Surface Pro 2 might have an even steeper climb ahead of it. What do you think?
DESIGN
Device
Microsoft Surface Pro 2
Apple iPad 4
Google Nexus 10
OS
Windows (8.1 Pro)
iOS (7.01)
Android (4.3, 4.2.2, 4.2.1, 4.2)
Dimensions
10.81 x 6.81 x 0.53 inches (275 x 173 x 13 mm)
9.50 x 7.31 x 0.37 inches (241.2 x 185.7 x 9.4 mm)
10.39 x 6.99 x 0.35 inches (263.9 x 177.6 x 8.9 mm)
Weight
32.00 oz (907 g) the average is 17.4 oz (496 g)
23.35 oz (662 g) the average is 17.4 oz (496 g)
21.27 oz (603 g) the average is 17.4 oz (496 g)
Design features
Stylus
DISPLAY
Physical size
10.6 inches
9.7 inches
10.1 inches
Resolution
1920 x 1080 pixels
2048 x 1536 pixels
2560 x 1600 pixels
Pixel density
208 ppi
264 ppi
300 ppi
HARDWARE
System chip
Intel Core i5
Apple A6X
Samsung Exynos 5
Processor
Dual core, 2.6 GHz
Dual core, 1400 MHz, Apple Swift
Dual core, 1700 MHz, ARM Cortex-A15
Graphics processor
Intel 4400
PowerVR SGX 554
ARM Mali-T604
System memory
4096 MB RAM
1024 MB RAM
2048 MB RAM (Dual-channel)
Built-in storage
64 GB
16 GB
16 GB
Storage expansion
microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
CAMERA
Camera
Yes
5 megapixels
5 megapixels
Flash
LED
Camcorder
1280x720 (720p HD)
1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)
1920x1080 (1080p HD) (30 fps)
Front-facing camera
Yes
1.2 megapixels
1.9 megapixels
Video capture
1280x720 (720p HD)
1280x720 (720p HD)
CONNECTIVITY
Bluetooth
4.0
4.0
3.0
Wi-Fi
Yes
802.11 a, b, g, n, n 5GHz
802.11 a, b, g, n
Dual antennas, MIMO
MIMO
USB
USB 3.0
Yes
USB 2.0
Connector
Full-size USB
Proprietary
microUSB
HDMI
DisplayPort
Yes
Micro HDMI (Type D)
AVAILABILITY
Officially announced
23 Sep 2013
23 Oct 2012
29 Oct 2012
Scheduled release
22 Oct 2013 (Official)
SHOPPING INFORMATION
MSRP price
$ 899
$ 499
$ 399
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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