Microsoft Surface 3 vs iPad Air 2 Specs, Price Comparison: Features Review - Microsoft Device Outshines Apple?

Microsoft is hoping that its new laptop-tablet hybrid, the Surface 3, will be able to beat the iPad Air 2 in terms of specs and design. Going by recent reviews, it appears that device from Apple has finally got a competitor that can outshine it.

Design

The Surface 3 is bigger than its rival and has a body made from magnesium with chamfered edges but with no vents since it does not have a fan. As for the iPad Air 2, it comes with a full aluminum body with many of the traditional design elements associated with Apple devices. One major difference between the devices is that Surface 3 has a kickstand which is missing on its competitor.

Display

On the iPad Air 2 is an IPS LCD screen measuring 9.7 inches with a resolution of 1536 x 2048 pixels and a density of 264 pixels per inch. As for the Surface 3 it has a bigger 10.8-inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels.

Specs

The iPad Air 2 comes with an Apple A8X chipset and a triple-core CPU clocked at 1.5 GHz. As for the Surface 3 it has a quad core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 CPU.

Memory

As with all Apple devices, the iPad Air 2 does not have a memory slot while the Surface 3 has one. In terms of RAM, the iPad Air 2 comes with 2 GB, while the Surface 3 comes with 2 GB RAM on its 64GB model and 4 GB RAM on its 128 GB model.

Camera

The rear facing camera on the Surface 3 is an 8 megapixel shooter. The iPad Air 2 also has a similar camera.

Price

The starting price of the 64 GB Surface 3 without the optional keyboard and pen is $499 while the iPad Air 2 with 64 GB on board storage is priced at $599.