There is a big difference between the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 released in the year 2013 and the latest release of the company, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3.
The company might keep both its products in the market creating a competition between the two. This would be very confusing for the potential buyer to choose between the two phablets.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 comes with an astounding design. A great phablet is a portable and powerful machine. Users who are looking forward to owning a powerful phablet should definitely give it a thought. However, the price of this great phablet is on the higher side. In comparison, the Surface Pro 3 is a next to perfect phablet for users looking for specific usage. The device comes in a light and thin design. The device does not come cheap. The additional cost of a suitable keyboard cover may also burn a hole in your pocket.
The latest version, the Pro 3 is a better product, however; would different users having different requirements argue for Pro 2? Let us compare the two phablets to find out the answer.
Design and Build
Microsoft is renowned for its hardware excellence. Both the devices come equipped with state of the art hardware. The Pro 2 and the Pro 3 may not be thin and light tablets as compared to other products available in the market but the two excel in portability and power. Both the Pro 2 and the Pro 3 are unparalleled per se portability and power.
The Pro 3 is lighter, thinner and larger in comparison to the Pro 2 tablet. The Pro 3 measures 11.5 inches x 7.93 inches x 0.36 inches and weighs approximately 900 grams excluding the pen and the Pro Type Cover keyboard. The device presents a solid feel. However, the Pro 2 seems more solid. The reason that the Pro 2 is much heavier and thicker than the Pro 3 presents the former with a solid feel. The Pro 2 measures 10.81 inches x 6.81 inches x 0.53 inches. The device weighs approximately 800 grams without the pen and Touch Cover keyboard.
However, both the devices are made up of magnesium that enables them to handle daily rigors spectacularly well.
Display
The Pro 2 comes equipped with a 10.6 inches display having 1080×1920 pixels resolution. The 16:9 aspect ratio of the device is perfect for media streaming. The device also comes with Windows 8.1 apps and start screen. However, the cramped desktop causes a claustrophobic and frustrating experience to the users at times.
In comparison, the Pro 3 comes equipped with a 12 inches HD display having 2160×1440 pixels resolution. The device incorporates a 3:2 aspect ratio that proves to be a stunning feature along with a larger body size.
Comparing the two devices with respect to their image quality, both rank equally well. There is no apparent difference in terms of sharpness; however, the Pro 3 performs better than the Pro 2 at critical angles. Microsoft’s optical bonding enables the device to cut off the glare effectively.
Performance
The Surface Pro 2 comes equipped with a Core i5 fourth generation 4300U CPU running at 1.9GHz paired with 4GB or 8GB of RAM. The tablet has a Windows 8.1 64 bit Pro operating system.
The Surface Pro 3 has a series of configurations that ranges from Core i3 tablet having 4GB RAM to Core i7 tablet with 8GB RAM. The Pro 3 edges the Pro 2 slightly. However, the difference is not that great to claim Pro 3 a better tablet than the Pro 2.
Price
The Pro 2 has a price range starting from $799 to $1599 (considering a price drop) in comparison to the Pro 3 price range starting from $799 to $1949.
Apart from the price range difference, there are no big differences between the Pro 2 and the Pro 3. Both the tablets are great performers making it difficult to choose between the two.
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