Nexus 9 vs Microsoft Surface 3 Comparison: Bigger Surface 3 Has Better Design and Features

Last year, the Nexus 9 frequently featured in the list of top tablets. This year with sales of tablets cooling down, attention has turned towards tablet/hybrid offerings like the Microsoft Surface 3. Here is how the two devices compare.

Design

The Nexus 9 is made from plastic, with its back panel having a matte finish. It has a metal band running along its edge, which gives it a touch of class. On the other hand, the Surface 3 is made from magnesium, much like its larger sibling, the Surface Pro 3. This gives it a premium look. Comparing their colors, the Surface 3 only comes in silver while the Nexus 9 offers three color choices: sand, white and black. In terms of weight, the Surface 3 is heavier, weighing 622 grams. The Nexus 9 weighs 425 grams. The device from Microsoft is also taller, wider and thicker than its competitor. It comes with a kickstand, a Type Cover keyboard and Pen designed specifically for it. However, the Type Cover and Pen have to be purchased separately.

Display

The display on the Surface 3 is bigger, measuring10.8 inches with a resolution of 1920 X 1280 pixels and a density of 214 pixels per inch. As for the Nexus 9, it has a display measuring 8.9 inches with a resolution of 2048 X 1536 pixels and a density of 288 pixels per inch.

Specs

On the Surface 3 is a quad-core Intel Atom x7 Z8700 processor clocked at 1.6 GHz with Intel burst taking it up to 2.4 GHz. On the Nexus 9 is a Nvidia Tegra K1 chipset and a dual core Denver CPU clocked at 2.3 GHz.

Memory

The Nexus 9 does not have a microSD slot and comes with either 16 GB or 32 GB onboard storage. The Surface 3 has a microSD slot and 64 GB or 128 GB onboard storage depending on the model. As for RAM, the Nexus 9 comes with 2 GB while the 64 GB Surface 3 has 2 GB. Its higher end model has 4 GB.

Price

The Nexus 9 is priced at $400 while the 64 GB Surface 3 is priced at $500.