Surface Pro 3 vs iPad Air 2 Review, Feature Comparison: Which is Better for Your Needs?

Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 and its chief rival Apple's iPad Air 2 are both large screen tablets, but that's the only similarity they share.

The Surface Pro 3 functions as an ultrabook. It has a highly versatile kickstand that can be used in numerous positions. It has a thickness of 7.93 mm, a 12-inch screen, and a screen resolution of 2160 x 1440.

The iPad Air 2, on the other other hand, has 6.1 mm thickness, a 9.7-inch screen, and a screen resolution of 2048×1536.

From these specs, it's easy to see that the Surface Pro 3 is practically like a mini laptop—one that weighs 1.76 lbs. In contrast, the iPad Air 2, being thinner and smaller, is also lighter at 1 lb., giving it more points in terms of easy portability.

As for having a touch optimized platform for different kinds of apps, it is the iPad Air 2 that has the competitive edge. The iPad Air 2 has more than 600,000 apps that are completely compatible for use on a tablet. Surface Pro 3 hasn't even skimmed the surface of Apple's catalogue of apps.

The tablets' cameras are also clearly distinct in terms of capability. The Surface Pro 3 camera is 5 megapixels, while the iPad Air 2 has a 1.2 megapixel front camera that's good for 720p videos, and an 8-megapixel rear camera that's also capable of shooting 1080p videos.

The iPad Air 2 comes in 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB variants, while the Surface Pro 3 is available in 64 GB, 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB variants.

As can be seen from the specifications, each tablet has different areas of excellence and weakness. Before you buy, compare and contrast their features based on your intent for using a tablet.