Difference between Surface Pro 2 and 3 is of great interest to anyone, who is interested in the latest trends in the computer world. Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 are tablets or most precisely laplets produced by Microsoft under their Surface series. They are tablets, but they have the specification similar to a laptop computer with an optional detachable keyboard. Surface Pro 2 is the version released in 2013 while Surface Pro 3 is the successor, which was released recently in 2014. A significant difference between Surface Pro 2 and 3 is the screen size. Surface Pro 2 has a 16:9 aspect ratio screen while this has changed to a 3:2 aspect ratio in the new Surface Pro 3. The sizes of the devices too have changed where the new one is having a larger area but lesser thickness and weight. Surface Pro 3 has different versions with different processors to be selected,but the old Surface Pro 2 always has i5. The RAM, storage capacities, sensors, connectivity,and interfaces are almost the same in the two devices.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 Review – Features of Surface Pro 2
Surface Pro 2 is a surface series tablet by Microsoft that was released last year in September 2013. This device is known as a laplet rather than a tablet because it is a combination of a laptop and a tablet. The device has a detachable keyboard where without the keyboard it is like a tablet that works on touch but, when the keyboard is fixed, with the massive specification the device has, it is powerful like a laptop.
Surface Pro 2 is having dimensions of 10.81″ x 6.81″ x 0.53″ and a weight of 2 lbs. The touch screen display which is 10 point multi-touch is a 10.6 inch one with a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080. The device surfaced with an Intel 4th Generation i5 processor makes it a very powerful device just like a PC. There are variants where RAM capacity can be selected from 4GB and 8GB. Storage capacity as well can be selected from 64, 128, 256 or 512 GB. Two 720p cameras are found on the front and rear while the device also consists of a built-in microphone and stereo speakers. The operating system running on the device is Windows 8.1 pro and hence any familiar Windows application can be installed and used just like on your PC. The battery can sustain 7-15 days of idle time and a complete charge can be done in 2-4 hours. Wireless connectivity technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are supported. The device also contains full-sized USB 3.0 port and a mini display port. A headset jack is present while a microSDXC card reader is also included. Additionally the device has basic sensors such as Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer and Gyroscope, and Magnetometer.
Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Review – Features of Surface Pro 3
Surface Pro 3 is the successor of Surface Pro 2. It was released very recently, in June 2014, by the Microsoft and just as the Surface Pro 2; it is also a laplet. The size is a bit larger than the older one where now it is 11.5” x 7.93” x 0.36” with an increased screen size of 12”. Though the size has increased the weight and the thickness has decreased. Now the weight is just 1.76 lbs. The resolution of the screen also has increased up to a huge resolution of 2160 x 1440. A major difference is in the aspect ratio. While the Surface Pro 2 was 16:9 the new device Surface Pro 3 is having an aspect ratio of 3:2. The processor on the device is a powerful Intel 4th Generation Core processor where the customer has the choice to select i3, i5 or i7 when buying. The RAM capacity also can be selected from 4GB or 8GB and the storage capacity also is to be selected from 64, 128, 256 or 512 GB. The battery would last for 9 hours of webbrowsing. Wireless connectivity technologies like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are available and sensors such as Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope and Magnetometer are built just as in surface pro 2. There are two cameras one at the back and one at the front, each of which are 5 megapixel. A microphone and stereo speakers are built in. The interfaces available are full-sized USB 3.0, microSD card reader, Headset jack and Mini DisplayPort. The operating system running on the device is the famous Windows 8.1.
What is the difference between Surface Pro 2 and 3?
• The size of Surface Pro 2 is 10.81″ x 6.81″ x 0.53″. The Surface Pro 3 has a larger area but lesser thickness with dimensions of 11.5” x 7.93” x 0.36”. So surface Pro 3 is larger but slimmer than Surface Pro 2.
• The weight of Surface Pro 2 is 2 lbs while this is a bit lesser in Surface Pro 3, which is 1.76lbs.
• The screen size of Surface 2 is 10.6 inches while the screen size of Surface Pro 3 is larger, which is 12 inches.
• The aspect ratio of the screen in Surface Pro 2 is 16:9 while this is 3:2 in Surface Pro 3.
• The screen resolution of Surface Pro 2 is 1920 x 1080 while this is 2160 x 1440 in Surface Pro 3.
• The processor of Surface Pro 2 is Intel i5. However, in Surface Pro 3, there are several models where the processor can be selected from i3, i5 or i7.
• The cameras in Surface Pro 2 are stated as 710p cameras while the cameras in Surface Pro 3 are stated as 5 Megapixel cameras.
Summary:
Surface Pro 2 vs 3
The major difference is in the screen aspect ratio. Surface Pro 2 has a 16:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 while Surface Pro 3 has a screen of 3:2 aspect ratio, which is of resolution 2160 x 1440. The length and the width of the Surface Pro 3 are larger than Surface Pro 2, but it is slimmer and lighter. Surface Pro 2 is limited to core i5 processors, but Surface Pro 3 is available with a variety of processors from i3, i5 or i7. While both devices have similar RAM and storage capacities, many other features remain the same. Both run Windows 8.1 as the operating system.
Images Courtesy:
- Surface pro 2 by Jon Fingas (CC BY-ND 2.0)
- Surface pro 3 via Wikicommons (Public Domain)