Apple iPad Pro Beats Surface Pro for Business by $650 on Price and Performance

10 articles · Updated · PCMag · May 23

Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro was judged the better overall business tablet, with the review citing stronger value and faster M5 performance than Microsoft’s Surface Pro for Business.
At $1,299, the iPad Pro starts $650 below the Surface Pro for Business at $1,949.99, while Apple’s tablet also pulled well ahead in Geekbench productivity tests and showed a notable graphics gain over the prior generation.
Microsoft’s device still won on laptop-style utility: Windows 11, enterprise security tools, a built-in kickstand and detachable keyboard design made it the stronger laptop replacement.
The iPad Pro kept its edge as a tablet-first option with a thinner 1.3-pound design, up to 2TB of storage and a lower-cost path to higher-end configurations, though both devices require extra-cost keyboards and pens.
The review’s bottom line was conditional: businesses needing Windows-specific apps or security should choose Surface Pro for Business, but otherwise Apple wins on the factors that matter most—price and speed.

Is the iPad Pro’s superior M5 power wasted by a mobile OS that still struggles with 'deep work'?

Can Windows' enterprise dominance survive as powerful mobile devices increasingly mimic full laptop functionality?

With AI transforming workflows, which device’s intelligence features will actually define the future of professional productivity?