Top 5 best alternatives to Microsoft Surface Pro in 2024
By ForGeeks The Microsoft Surface Pro lineup of devices is good, whether you re considering the Surface Pro 9 or Surface Pro 8. They can be expensive, and if that’s not what you’re looking for, there are several other alternatives, that you can consider. In fact, the Surface Pro was originally designed to compete with the iPad Pro, so if you’re a member of the Apple ecosystem, this is one direction, that you should consider. Either way, below are five of the best alternatives to the Surface Pro.
The Surface Pro can be expensive, and if it’s not what you’re looking for, there are several other alternatives you can consider.
Best iPadOS counterpart to the Surface Pro —M2 Apple iPad Pro
If you’re a member of the Apple ecosystem, the obvious alternative is the M2 Apple iPad Pro, especially since it features Apple’s second-generation M-Chips, and they’re pretty good. For starters, it features an impressive 12.9-inch screen with a resolution of 2,732 x 2,048. Even better, the tablet features a gorgeous Retina XDR liquid display, so it’s ideal for viewing content or working on creative stuff like graphic rendering, design, and is one of the best screens Apple has to offer. Plus, it has a peak brightness of 1600 nits, so you’ll be able to use it just about anywhere.
As mentioned above, it features the M2 chip, which is performant enough to handle productivity tasks, so you won’t have to worry about that. Apple products are also well known for being suitable for creative people, and there are a number of apps that will work with the iPad, when it comes to anything — from graphic design to music creation. Thankfully, you’ll also get 16 GB of RAM, which is quite rare in Apple products, so that’s good to see, especially as it will ensure a smoother experience. As for battery life, it will last up to nine to ten hours with minimal use, which is disappointing.
So it’s a good thing.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8+
If you need a Microsoft Pro alternative outside of Apple’s ecosystem, it’s going to be hard to beat the Galaxy Tab S8+. In terms of performance, the Tab S8+ is surprisingly powerful: it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, which is just one generation behind the latest model and one of the most powerful mobile processors on the market. That means it’ll easily handle most performance-related tasks, as well as many of the graphics and audio programs you’ll want to use if they’re available on Android.
The Tab S8+ is the only one that can handle most productivity tasks, as well as many of the graphics and audio programs you’ll want to use if they’re available on Android.
Perhaps, the lack of Windows — is a big problem, which makes it hard to compete with the Surface Pro, although, if you have access to the creative apps, you use on Android, then it’s fine. Fortunately, many other features make up for possible shortcomings thanks to a large 12.4-inch screen with a resolution of 2800 x 1752. It also features 16 GB of RAM, which makes for a smooth experience.
Another feature that makes up for any shortcomings is the large 12.4-inch screen with a resolution of 2800 x 1752.
Another downside, worth mentioning,— as with the iPad Pro, it doesn’t come with a keyboard, so you’ll have to buy one separately.The Tab S8+ Tab S8+ costs considerably less. Another feature of Tab S8+ — is the availability of a MicroSD expansion slot, which means you can add up to 512 GB of storage.
The Tab S8+ Tab S8+ Tab S8+ is also available with a microSD slot.
Chromebook Duet 5
Although both of the aforementioned options are quite expensive, you can get the more budget-friendly Chromebook Duet 5 like the Surface Pro, which also happens to have an OLED display for accurate color reproduction. The 13.3-inch screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080, which is pretty normal for this screen size given the pixel density, though it may cause some issues for those who need a 2k or higher display for graphics work. Even so, it’s surprisingly accurate at 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut, and the 400-nit peak brightness allows for use in well-lit rooms and pretty much anywhere out of direct sunlight, which is impressive.
At the same time, the screen’s brightness is very good.
Inside is Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, a slightly outdated mobile processor, but still quite capable of handling most creative and productive tasks, so no need to worry about that. In fact, the biggest concern is software compatibility, since this is a Chromebook and runs not on Windows, but ChromeOs. This means you should double check whether your preferred software is available, before deciding to buy this laptop.
So you should double check if your preferred software is available, before deciding to buy this laptop.
In addition, it’s equipped with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, which isn’t much, but is to be expected for this price, especially since it’s a budget device. Fortunately, it comes with a keyboard, and while the storage is small, you can supplement it with an external hard drive, if you need the extra space.The build quality is excellent, as is the amazing battery life — nearly 15 hours of web browsing, although this can drop if you’re doing productive, demanding work.
And the battery life is great, too.
ROG Flow Z13
While the Microsoft Surface Pro is beautiful, it’s not so great for gaming. While it’s rare to find a 2-in-1 device that is essentially a tablet and can run good games, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 — is just such a case. It’s probably one of the few 2-in-1s with a discrete GPU housing an RTX 4050. In doing so, it gives you access to the latest DLSS 3 technology, so you can use it in games that are supported to boost frame rates and graphics.
At the same time, it gives you access to the latest DLSS 3 technology, so you can use it in games that are supported to boost frame rates and graphics.
When it comes to the screen, you get a large 13.4-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and a much better aspect ratio of 16:10, at least, in gaming. Also impressive is the 165H refresh rate, which will help with gaming and everyday use. The laptop also covers 100% of the DCI-P3 gamut, which makes it a great device for creative and graphic work. In addition, the RTX 4050 will help with graphic rendering.
The RTX 4050 will also help with graphics rendering.
The processor Intel Core i9-13900H, one of the highest performing processors on the market, will also help.You’ll also get 16 GB of RAM, which is expected for this price, as well as a 1 TB SSD, which is usually a lot of storage, but if you plan to play on it, you might run into a limitation from time to time.
And if you’re planning to play on it, you might run into a limitation.
An SSD will also help.
Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro
Although the Galaxy Book3 Pro doesn’t have a detachable keyboard like the Microsoft Surface Pro, it’s a powerful alternative and it’s just as thin, even though the keyboard can’t be removed. Another big plus compared to the Surface Pro — is the 16-inch screen. In addition, the screen has a resolution of 2880 x 1800 and is made with AMOLED technology, so you get good color reproduction and accuracy, which is another big plus for those who work with art and graphics.
Another big plus for those who work with art and graphics.
Although the Galaxy Book3 Pro doesn’t have an integrated GPU, it’s equipped with a fairly powerful processor Intel Core i7-1360P, which is mid to high-end and will handle most editing and production work, as well as pure productivity work without a problem. You also get an impressive 32 GB of RAM, more, than any other option on this list, and that will help with things, like video editing, CAD, and even programming, which requires a lot of RAM.
The Intel Core i7-1360P, which is mid to high-end and will help with things like video editing, CAD, and even programming, which requires a lot of RAM.
Another advantage of the Galaxy Book3 Pro compared to the Surface Pro —is a capacious battery, especially for such a screen: up to 12 hours of use or so. Also, the 1 TB of storage is quite handy and you can expand the internal storage with MicroSD up to 2 TB, which is rare in most models 2-in-1, like this one.
The Galaxy Book Pro—s battery life is pretty good.
