Operating System & User Experience: The Fundamental Divide
The core of this decision lies in the operating system. The Surface Pro 9 runs a full version of Windows 11, while the iPad Pro operates on iPadOS 16. This is not a minor difference; it defines the device’s fundamental purpose.
Microsoft Surface Pro 9: The Desktop in Your Hands
Windows 11 on the Surface Pro 9 provides a familiar desktop-class experience. You can run full, desktop-grade applications like the full Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro), Microsoft Office, advanced IDEs, and countless legacy x86 and x64 programs. The file system is robust and flexible, allowing for deep folder structures, easy drag-and-drop between local and cloud storage, and seamless integration with external drives. Multitasking is a key strength; you can have multiple windows open, resized, and overlapped freely. Features like Snap Layouts further enhance productivity on the 13-inch PixelSense Flow display. For anyone whose workflow depends on specific Windows-only software or complex, multi-window workflows, the Surface Pro 9 is the only viable choice.
Apple iPad Pro: The Mobile Powerhouse
The iPad Pro’s iPadOS is an evolution of a mobile operating system. It is incredibly fluid, secure, and optimized for touch-first interaction. The app ecosystem is built for touch, with over a million applications designed specifically for the iPad’s form factor. However, these are often simplified “mobile” or “pro” versions of their desktop counterparts. While apps like Adobe Fresco, Lumafusion, and DaVinci Resolve for iPad are incredibly powerful, they may lack the full feature set of their desktop siblings. Multitasking, while improved with Stage Manager, is still more constrained than on Windows. It operates on a model of layered, floating windows rather than the free-form window management of a desktop OS. For users whose tasks are centered around consumption, illustration, note-taking, and light content creation, iPadOS is a sleek and intuitive environment.
Performance & Internal Hardware
Both devices are equipped with cutting-edge, custom-built silicon, but they approach performance from different philosophies.
Surface Pro 9: Intel’s 12th Gen & SQ3 Options
The Surface Pro 9 offers two processor choices. The standard and most common configuration uses 12th Gen Intel Core i5 or i7 processors with Intel Iris Xe graphics. These are efficient, powerful chips that provide excellent performance for general productivity, multi-tab browsing, and running demanding desktop applications. The other, more niche option is the 5G model powered by the Microsoft SQ3 processor, a custom ARM-based chip developed with Qualcomm. This variant offers always-connected cellular capability and exceptional battery life but operates within the still-maturing world of Windows on ARM, which can have compatibility issues with some x64 applications unless they are emulated.
iPad Pro: The Apple M2 Chip
The iPad Pro is universally powered by the Apple M2 chip, the same system-on-a-chip found in Apple’s MacBook Air and Pro laptops. It delivers staggering raw performance, particularly in single-core tasks and GPU-intensive workloads like video editing, 3D modeling, and gaming. The M2’s performance per watt is industry-leading, meaning it delivers this power without a fan, resulting in a completely silent operation. For tasks that are fully optimized for the M2 architecture within iPadOS—such as Procreate, video rendering in LumaFusion, or playing graphics-intensive games—the iPad Pro is often the performance leader. However, this raw power can be bottlenecked by the limitations of iPadOS, preventing it from being utilized for certain professional desktop-level tasks.
Display & Design: A Study in Form and Function
Visually, both devices are premium, but with distinct design languages and display technologies.
Surface Pro 9: The Versatile 3:2 Aspect Ratio
The Surface Pro 9 features a 13-inch PixelSense Flow display with a 3:2 aspect ratio. This taller screen is ideal for productivity, showing more of a webpage, document, or timeline without excessive vertical scrolling. It supports Dolby Vision and a 120Hz dynamic refresh rate, making scrolling and inking feel smooth. The design includes a built-in kickstand that is infinitely adjustable, allowing you to set the device at any angle from nearly flat to almost vertical. This is superb for drawing, typing on your lap, or watching videos on a tray table. The trade-off is that the kickstand requires a stable surface and can be awkward to hold for extended periods as a pure tablet.
iPad Pro: The Stunning Liquid Retina XDR
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro boasts the Liquid Retina XDR display with mini-LED backlighting. This technology allows for exceptional brightness (1,000 nits full-screen, 1,600 nits peak) and incredible contrast ratios, making it the superior display for HDR video consumption and color-critical work in photography and video. The 11-inch model uses a standard (though still excellent) Liquid Retina LED display. Both have a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate. The iPad Pro’s design is a simple, flat slate that is lightweight and easy to hold as a tablet. It lacks a built-in kickstand, requiring a separate keyboard folio or case for propped-up use.
Accessories: Keyboards & Styli
The accessory ecosystem is crucial to transforming these tablets into true 2-in-1 devices.
Surface Pro 9: Signature Keyboard & Slim Pen 2
The Surface Pro Signature Keyboard is widely regarded as one of the best tablet keyboards available. It offers a superb typing experience with decent key travel, a large glass precision touchpad, and a stable magnetic attachment. It also includes a dedicated slot that charges and stores the Slim Pen 2. This stylus provides a precise, low-latency writing experience with custom haptic feedback that simulates the feeling of pen on paper. Both accessories are sold separately, adding a significant cost to the total package.
iPad Pro: Magic Keyboard & Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)
The Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro is an engineering marvel. It features a full-size keyboard with a scissor-switch mechanism, a trackpad that supports the full range of iPadOS multi-touch gestures, and a floating cantilever design that allows you to adjust the viewing angle. Its major differentiator is that it includes a USB-C pass-through charging port, freeing up the iPad’s own port. The Apple Pencil (2nd Gen) magnetically attaches to the iPad’s edge for pairing and wireless charging. It is incredibly responsive, with pixel-perfect precision and pressure sensitivity, making it the gold standard for artists and note-takers. Like Microsoft’s accessories, these are sold separately at a premium price.
Ports, Connectivity, and Expandability
This is a area of significant practical difference for professional workflows.
Surface Pro 9: The Traditional Ports
The Wi-Fi model of the Surface Pro 9 includes two USB-C (USB 4.0 / Thunderbolt 4) ports and a Surface Connect port for charging. The Thunderbolt 4 support is a massive advantage, allowing for connection to high-speed external storage, multiple external monitors (including 4K displays), and powerful eGPUs. The 5G model swaps one Thunderbolt port for a nanoSIM tray. The inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 provides a level of expandability that the iPad Pro cannot match.
iPad Pro: The Mobile-First Approach
The iPad Pro features a single USB-C port that supports Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 on the 12.9-inch model and USB 4 on the 11-inch model. While this offers high data transfer speeds, its functionality is limited by iPadOS. You can connect to external displays (with limited resolution and refresh rate support compared to a desktop OS), cameras, and some external drives, but the system lacks the robust peripheral support of Windows. There is no support for eGPUs or the vast array of peripherals that professionals rely on.
Battery Life & Real-World Usage
Battery performance varies based on usage, but general patterns exist.
The iPad Pro consistently delivers longer battery life under typical usage scenarios like web browsing, video playback, and using optimized apps, often achieving 10 hours or more. Its efficiency is a hallmark of the Apple silicon and iPadOS integration.
The Surface Pro 9 with the Intel processor typically offers a more variable 6-9 hours of battery life, heavily dependent on the applications being used. Running intensive desktop software will drain the battery much faster. The 5G model with the SQ3 chip can provide significantly longer battery life, more in line with the iPad Pro, but with the aforementioned software compatibility trade-offs.
Price & The Total Cost of Ownership
Both devices occupy the premium end of the market, but the total cost can be deceptive.
The entry-level Surface Pro 9 often starts at a higher price point for a comparable storage tier, but it includes a more flexible, desktop-class OS by default. However, to make it a true laptop replacement, you must factor in the cost of the Signature Keyboard and Slim Pen 2, which can add several hundred dollars.
The entry-level iPad Pro may appear less expensive initially, especially for the 11-inch model. However, its “pro” functionality is also gated behind the separate purchase of the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. When fully kitted out with sufficient storage and accessories, the total cost of either ecosystem is substantial and highly comparable, often exceeding the price of a traditional premium ultrabook.