Tablets are a very popular choice for Christmas gifts and this year is no different. However, making a decision to choose the best tablet as a Christmas gift is somewhat difficult for people as there are plenty of tablets available in the market and almost all of them have something unique and interesting to offer to its customers. This year, the iPad 4 and Microsoft Surface with Windows RT are probably two of the tablets, which many people are thinking about gifting. However, making the choice is the hardest part, so we are going to help you decide which one is best for you.
Weight
Weight is very important to consider these days, especially if you are choosing a tablet. The Microsoft Surface and iPad 4, both are 0.37” thick and their weight is almost same as well – Surface 1.4lb and iPad 4 weighs 1.44lb.
The weight of both devices looks off when you hold it differently because when you hold both tablets in your hand, the iPad 4 will seem lighter, which is probably because of its curved edges. Whereas, on the other hand, the Surface RT feels heavier than the iPad 4 in hand to hand comparison. However, the weight scale said that the iPad 4 is heavier than the Surface RT so it is up to you to decide whether you are going to choose something that is 0.04lb heavier. For that matter, let’s look at some other things in the two tablets.
Features
- The iPad 4 offers an LTE connection for as long as possible. That means, as long as you have access to one, you can use it.
- For Surface RT, you will need a Wi-Fi connection to check your emails and browse on the internet because it is the only option available in it at the moment. Although, Microsoft may release a new version of Surface with 4G, but currently available Surface is without it.
- Another thing about the Surface RT that will upset users is its inability to connect with VPN platforms. Moreover, Microsoft has not provided the APIs that are needed for the AnyConnect client app. However, the company is working on it at the moment.
- The rear camera location in the iPad 4 is much better than its location in the Surface RT. The rear camera featured in the iPad 4 is 5MP and it is capable of recoding HD videos at 1080p. On the other hand, the Surface RT tab can only manage a 720p video.
- As for the front camera, the Surface RT has located it better than the iPad 4. In the Surface RT, video calls are better. On portrait mode on the iPad 4, the camera is still a bit better, but as for landscape mode, it’s overly one sided.
- The battery in iPad 4 seems to be a lot better than the Surface RT. Although, there are no actual test results of how long both lasts, but still the iPad 4’s battery performs better in the tests we conducted.
If these features are not enough for you to decide which tablet to choose, then you should consider their price because the 32GB Surface costs $500 and for the same amount, you can get an iPad 4 as well, but with only 16GB memory.
Umair Maqsood is a Financial Analyst and a writer. He writes about payday loans and investment Opportunities around the world. You can check the site for more details.