Microsoft Pits Surface Pro 7 Against iPad Pro, Says Surface is 'Still the Better Choice'

Microsoft today shared an ad that pits the Surface Pro 7 against Apple's iPad Pro, in a continuation of a Surface Pro 7 vs. MacBook ad campaign that kicked off in January.


The ad highlights the Surface Pro 7's kickstand, pointing out that the iPad does not have a built-in kickstand option, and it calls the ‌iPad Pro‌'s keyboard "a lot heavier" than the Surface option.

Microsoft also goes for the dongle angle, pointing out that the ‌iPad Pro‌ only has a single USB-C port while the Surface Pro 7 has several available ports. "You wanna be this guy?" says the actor in the ad, while holding up an ‌iPad‌ with a dongle attached.

"‌iPad Pro‌'s just a tablet," adds the actor. "Surface is a whole computer and a tablet." The ad ends by pointing out the price with the ‌iPad Pro‌ Smart Keyboard, which comes to $1,348 for the 12.9-inch model ($999 + $349 for the keyboard). Microsoft's Surface Pro 7 is priced starting at $750, and Microsoft says the version used in the ad is $880, which includes the cost of the keyboard.

Microsoft's previous Surface Pro 7 ad compared the tablet to the MacBook Pro, pointing out its touchscreen vs. the Touch Bar and calling the Surface Pro a "much better gaming device" than the ‌MacBook Pro‌.

Microsoft often likes to position its Surface line as a tablet/computer experience that Apple is unable to compete with because it has no convertible devices. Intel too has been claiming that touchscreen-based convertible computers are better than Apple's M1 Macs in its ongoing anti-Mac ad campaign.

Apple executives have long said that they have no plans to combine the Mac and ‌iPad‌ lineups, and Apple engineering chief Craig Federighi said in November that Apple does not have plans for a touchscreen Mac.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...

Top Rated Comments

QCassidy352 Avatar
61 months ago
I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion here, but yes I would choose the surface pro IF I were looking for a single device solution. iPad is a better tablet by far, but even now, it’s a poor substitute for a computer with a desktop OS.
Score: 84 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swm Avatar
61 months ago
better choice for gaming. sure. it still has solitaire preinstalled.
Score: 47 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
61 months ago

I’m sure this will be an unpopular opinion here, but yes I would choose the surface pro IF I were looking for a single device solution. iPad is a better tablet by far, but even now, it’s a poor substitute for a computer with a desktop OS.
You are absolutely correct. And to Microsoft's credit, their Surface ads are fact-based.

At the same time, Microsoft cherry picks its strength. That is, Surface Pro is neither a great notebook nor great tablet. iPad has far more compelling selection of apps and superior industrial design, and iPadOS offers superior tablet experience.

I would much rather carry entry level iPad ($329) and entry level MacBook Air ($999) than 2-in-1 Jack-of-all-trade-master-of-none device like Surface Pro 7.
Score: 45 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nvmls Avatar
61 months ago
"Surface Pro carries Windows"

Comparison over.

PS: ..and Intel.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
61 months ago
What else are they supposed to do? Endorse the iPad and Mac?????
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
61 months ago
That Surface is running an Intel i3 processor, has a fan, and its thicker, bulkier & heavier, almost a no go as a tablet (and let's not talk about tablet optimized apps in Windows), and at the same time is very slow as a laptop. The 2 in 1 Intel devices have always being a compromise, as they're usually inferior as both a tablet & a traditional laptop.

The iPad Pro is no laptop, but you get the best tablet experience available, best performance, battery life, app support, etc.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)