Microsoft took some time out in Shanghai, China to announce a new generation of Surface Pro. Instead of continuing with the current naming scheme, this latest Surface Pro will simply be called Surface Pro, dropping the "5". It's a big deal because while it may look like a Surface Pro 4 on the outside, it's a whole new device underneath the aluminum casing. With more than 800 new parts, redesigned thermal system, it's an incredibly versatile device.
The XPS 15 by Dell is one of the most recognizable Windows-powered PCs and the company played it safe with the recent refresh, as highlighted by Executive Editor Daniel Rubino in his review of the XPS 15 (9560). It's an absolute powerhouse of a laptop and is even viewed by Apple fans as the viable alternative should they wish to hop ship from OSX to Windows.
Technical jargon
Looking at the specifications for both options and it's easy to see just how close they can be. No matter which you choose to purchase you'll be partnering up with a capable Windows 10 PC.
| Category | Surface Pro | Dell XPS 15 (9560) |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro | Windows 10 Pro |
| CPU | 7th-gen Intel Core m3 7th-gen Intel Core i5 7th-gen Intel Core i7 |
7th-gen Intel Core i3 7th-gen Intel Core i5 7th-gen Intel Core i7 |
| Display | 112.3-inch Pixel Sense display 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI) |
15.6-inch 1080p matte non-touch 4K glossy touch |
| Storage | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD | 500GB HDD + 32GB SSD 1TB HDD + 32GB SSD 256/512GB/1TB PCIe SSD |
| RAM | 4GB, 8GB or 16GB RAM 1866Mhz LPDDR3 |
8GB, 16GB, or 32GB 2400MHz DDR4 |
| GPU | Integrated | Integrated GTX 1050 (4GB GDDR5) |
| Rear Camera | 8MP Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
N/A |
| Front Camera | 5MP | 720p camera |
| Windows Hello | IR camera | Synaptics fingerprint reader |
| Dimensions | 11.50 inches x 7.9 inches x 0.33 inches (292 mm x 201 mm x 8.5 mm) |
14.06 inches x 9.27 inches x 0.45 – 0.66 inches (357mm x 235mm x 1-17mm) |
| Weight | 1.69 lbs to 1.73 lbs (768 g to 784 g) | 4 lbs (1.8 kg) |
| Ports | One full-size USB 3.0 Mini DisplayPort Headset jack Surface Connect microSDXC card reader |
HDMI 1.4 USB 3.0 (x2) with PowerShare Headset jack SD card reader (SD, SDHC, SDXC) Kensington Lock slot USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 |
| WiFi | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible | Killer 1535 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Battery | 13.5 hours | 10 hours |
| Pen | Surface Pen 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity Magnetic storage |
N/A |
Important numbers
When it comes to pricing, the Surface Pro 2017 edition starts from just $799 and can cost as much as $2,699 depending on what options are selected. As for the Dell XPS 15, things kick off from $999.99 but can hit $2,549.99 if everything is set to "premium without compromise". A breakdown of the different configurations can be found below:
Microsoft Surface Pro
- 128 GB / Intel Core m3 / 4GB RAM - $799
- 128 GB / Intel Core i5 / 4GB RAM - $999
- 256 GB / Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM - $1,299
- 256 GB / Intel Core i7 / 8GB RAM - $1,599
- 512 GB / Intel Core i7 / 16GB RAM - $2,199
- 1 TB / Intel Core i7 / 16GB RAM - $2,699
Dell XPS 15
- 500GB HDD, 32GB SSD / Intel Core i3 / 8GB RAM - $999.99
- 256GB SSD / Intel Core i5 / 8GB RAM - $1,349.99
- 512GB SSD / Intel Core i7 / 16GB RAM - $1,749.99
- 512GB SSD / Intel Core i7 / 16GB RAM / touch display - $2,149.99
Just how mobile are you?
Both are incredibly powerful machines, depending on which configuration you opt to pay for. The Surface Pro 4 is more of a portable tablet come notebook with more emphasis on being carried around, while the XPS 15 is a bulkier PC that focuses on getting even demanding tasks done. The choice one has to make between these two portable options depends largely on just how mobile they plan to be.
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