iPad Pro 2018 vs. Pixel Slate vs. Surface Pro 6: All specs, compared – CNET

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Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple has given the iPad Pro its biggest makeover since first introducing the premium tablet back in 2015. 

After souping up the entry-level iPad in March, adding Pencil support and a faster processor but keeping the price at $329, Apple desperately needed to put the “Pro” back into the iPad Pro. Today’s update achieves that — though it also pushes the devices’ prices further into the stratosphere. 

The new 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, and the revamped 12.9-inch model starts at $999. The 10.5-inch edition released in 2017 still starts at $649. And, of course, those prices don’t include two arguably vital accessories — the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, both of which were also updated today. 

The new $129 Pencil features wireless charging and new gesture controls and the new Smart Keyboard Folio has a new magnetic array and costs $179 for the 11-inch version or $199 for the 12.9-inch model. The older version of the keyboard and Pencil, which work with previous-generation iPads, cost $159 and $99, respectively.

Despite the price bump, Apple hopes the new iPad Pros, and their updated accessories, will be better-equipped to compete with a new crop of contemporary tabletsMicrosoft’s Surface Pro 6, which starts at $899, and Google’s Pixel Slate, which starts at $599, were both introduced earlier this month and are priced to compete with the new iPad Pros. 

Of course, there are lots of good tablets on the market. And there are numerous configuration options and accessories for the iPad Pro, Pixel Slate and Surface Pro 6. We’ve assembled the chart below to help you more easily compare these tablets’ prices, features and specs.

iPad Pro 2018 vs. Google Pixel Slate vs. Surface Pro 6

iPad Pro (11-inch, 2018) iPad Pro (12.9-inch, 2018) iPad Pro (10.5-inch, 2017) Pixel Slate Surface Pro 6 (2018)
Price Starts at $799 Starts at $999 Starts at $649 Starts at $599 Starts at $899
Optional keyboard $179 $199 $159 $199 $129
Optional stylus $129 $129 $99 $99 $99
Base configuration plus keyboard and stylus $1,107 $1,327 $907 $897 $1,127
Display 11-inch Retina display, 2,388×1,668-pixel resolution (264ppi) 12.9-inch Retina display, 2,732×2,048 resolution (264 ppi) 10.5-inch Retina display, 2,224×1,668 resolution (264 ppi) 12.3-inch Molecular display, 3,000×2,000 resolution (293 ppi) 12.3-inch PixelSense display, 2,736×1,824 resolution (267 ppi)
Processor A12X Bionic A12X Bionic A10X Fusion 8th Gen Intel Celeron or Core m3, i5, i7 8th Gen Intel Core i5, i7
RAM TBD TBD 4GB 4GB / 8GB / 16GB 8GB / 16GB
Storage 64GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1T 64GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1T 64GB / 256GB / 512GB 32GB / 64GB / 128GB / 256GB 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1T
SIM card support for cellular model Nano-SIM; eSIM Nano-SIM; eSIM Nano-SIM; embedded None None
Wireless Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0 Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 Dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.1
Ports USB-C, Smart Connector USB-C, Smart Connector Lightning connector, Smart Connector, 3.5mm headphone jack Two USB-C, Pixel Slate keyboard port Mini DisplayPort, Surface Connect, Surface Type Cover port, MicroSDXC, USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack
Cameras Front: 7-megapixel TrueDepth with support for Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, rear: 12-megapixel Front: 7-megapixel TrueDepth with support for Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting, rear: 12-megapixel Front: 7-megapixel, rear: 12-megapixel Front: 8-megapixel, rear: 8-megapixel Front: 5-megapixel with support for Windows Hello, rear: 8-megapixel
OS iOS 12 iOS 12 iOS 12 Chrome OS Windows 10 Home
Dimensions (HWD) 9.7 x 7.0 x 0.23 inches 11.0 x 8.5 x 0.23 inches 9.8 x 6.8 x 0.24 inches 11.5 x 8.0 x 0.27 inches 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.33 inches
Weight 1.0 lb. 1.4 lbs. 1.0 lb. 1.6 lbs. 1.7 lbs.
Battery life Up to 10 hours Up to 10 hours Up to 10 hours Up to 10 hours Up to 13.5 hours

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