Below is a detailed, side‑by‑side comparison of the Apple iPad Pro (2024 M4 models) and the Microsoft Surface Pro (Surface Pro 9 family). I cover hardware, displays, performance, software and apps, accessories, ports/connectivity, battery & battery life, portability, creative/pro workflows, pros & cons, and buying guidance so you can choose the right device for your needs.

Summary at a glance

• Best if you want tablet-first creativity, best mobile performance-per-watt, and the iPad app ecosystem: iPad Pro (M4). (Apple.com)
• Best if you need a full Windows 11 PC experience (desktop apps, background multitasking, native Office/legacy apps) in a detachable form factor: Surface Pro 9 (Intel or SQ® 3/5G variants). (Microsoft.com)

1. Models compared (what I’m referencing)

• Apple iPad Pro (2024) — 11" and 13" with Apple M4 chip, Ultra Retina XDR (tandem OLED) display, Apple Pencil Pro support. (Apple’s official spec pages and press release.) (Apple.com)
• Microsoft Surface Pro 9 (2022/2023 family still sold in 2024–25) — single 13" PixelSense Flow display model available in two platform variants: Intel (12th Gen Core i5/i7, Thunderbolt 4) and SQ® 3 ARM/5G (longer battery, NPU features). Runs Windows 11. (Microsoft official specs.) (Microsoft.com)

2. Displays

• iPad Pro: Ultra Retina XDR tandem OLED (substantially improved HDR, up to 1600 nits peak HDR, 1,000 nits full-screen SDR, ProMotion 10–120Hz, nano‑texture option on high-capacity models). Excellent color accuracy, contrast (2,000,000:1), and HDR handling — aimed at color‑managed pro workflows and video. (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: 13" PixelSense Flow display (2880×1920, 3:2 aspect, up to 120Hz variable refresh, Gorilla Glass 5, Dolby Vision IQ on Intel models). Great for document productivity (3:2 gives more vertical space), good color and dynamic refresh. (support.Microsoft.com)

3. Performance & silicon

• iPad Pro (M4): Apple’s M4 SoC (10‑core GPU on many models, next-gen Neural Engine) — Apple claims major single‑chip gains and extremely power‑efficient performance designed to run advanced ML locally and demanding creative apps. iPadOS apps are highly optimized for the SoC for fluid real‑time rendering and AI features. (Apple specs/press release.) (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Two distinct performance options:
  • Intel (12th Gen Core i5/i7, Thunderbolt 4). Full x86 Windows performance for desktop apps, local pro software (Photoshop, Premiere, Visual Studio). Good for workflows requiring native desktop apps or external GPUs/docking via TB4. (Microsoft.com)
  • SQ® 3 (ARM/5G): Much longer quoted battery life and always‑connected 5G; includes an NPU for AI-enhanced camera/Windows Studio effects, but has app-compatibility caveats (some x86 desktop apps run under emulation or aren’t optimized). (Microsoft.com)

4. Operating system & apps

• iPad Pro: iPadOS — tablet-first, touch/pen optimized, many high-quality creative apps (Procreate, LumaFusion, desktop-class Adobe and Affinity mobile apps), and increasing on‑device AI features. Great for creators who can work inside iPad apps or cloud/streaming desktop apps. iPad lacks full desktop macOS or Windows app compatibility (no native x86 Windows desktop apps). (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Windows 11 — full desktop OS. Runs full desktop versions of Office, Adobe Creative Cloud (desktop), developer tools, virtualization, etc. Best when you need legacy or specialized desktop software, external monitor/docking workflows, or traditional Windows multitasking.

5. Pen & touch input

• iPad Pro: Apple Pencil Pro + Apple Pencil (USB‑C) support; Apple Pencil Pro adds advanced sensors, gestures, and tight latency/integration (hover, tilt, pressure), plus deep integration with many creative apps. Excellent inking/drawing experience. (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Surface Slim Pen 2 (optional/charges in keyboard) — very good pen experience with haptic feedback and tilt/pressure support; pen experience maps to Windows apps (OneNote, Photoshop, Clip Studio). Surface keyboard + kickstand make it a convertible laptop replacement.

6. Ports, expansion & connectivity

• iPad Pro: USB‑C / Thunderbolt / USB4 port (high bandwidth for external drives, displays with adapters), magnetic Smart Connector for keyboards, no native full‑size ports. Cellular options available. (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Intel models: 2× Thunderbolt 4 (full docking/peripherals), Surface Connect; SQ® 3 models: 2× USB‑C (no TB4), plus optional 5G in SQ® 3 variant. Removable SSD (varies by configuration). If you rely on docking stations or multiple external displays, the Intel Surface has an advantage. (Microsoft.com)

7. Battery life

• Apple quotes long battery life for iPad Pro in mixed use; Apple’s M4 is designed for high performance per watt (Apple claims big gains versus prior chips). Actual runtime varies with workload (video vs rendering vs web). (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Microsoft quotes up to ~15.5 hours for Intel model and up to ~19 hours for the 5G/SQ® 3 model (real world varies). In general, the SQ® 3/ARM variant can deliver longer battery life for light tasks and standby. (Microsoft.com)

8. Cameras, microphones & media

• iPad Pro: Pro camera system (12MP back), adaptive True Tone flash, four‑speaker audio, studio‑quality mics — Apple emphasizes video/photo capture and editing on the device; also supports advanced AI/ML video tools. (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Good front/rear cameras with Windows Studio Effects (Automatic Framing, Eye Contact) especially on SQ® 3 5G models that use the NPU; quad mics and Dolby-capable display on Intel model. Useful for pro video conferencing. (Microsoft.com)

9. Storage, memory & configurations

• iPad Pro: Options up to 2TB; memory configurations are tied to storage tiers (e.g., 8GB RAM for 256/512GB models, higher RAM for 1TB/2TB). Unified memory architecture benefits creative workloads. (Apple.com)
• Surface Pro 9: Configurable with 8/16/32GB LPDDR5 (Intel models up to 32GB), removable SSD options (128GB–1TB, depends on SKU). If you need large amounts of RAM and traditional storage management, Intel Surface gives more conventional PC choices. (support.Microsoft.com)

10. Real-world uses / which is better for what

• Creative professionals (painting, illustration, color‑accurate video editing on the go): iPad Pro wins for pen latency, mobile creative apps, and the OLED Ultra Retina XDR display. If your workflow is fully supported by iPad apps (or cloud/remote Mac/PC streaming), it’s fantastic. (Apple.com)
• Photo/video editing that uses desktop apps (Premiere Pro full desktop, DaVinci Resolve, plugin ecosystems): Surface Pro 9 (Intel) or a proper laptop/desktop wins for native app compatibility. The Intel model with TB4 is more flexible for pro docks and external GPUs. (Microsoft.com)
• Office, development, specialized desktop software, virtualization, or need for multiple external displays: Surface Pro 9 (Intel). Windows gives the full desktop ecosystem. (Microsoft.com)
• Portability with cellular/always‑connected and long battery for basic productivity: Surface Pro 9 (SQ® 3/5G) can be compelling; iPad Pro cellular is also strong but does not run full desktop apps. (Microsoft.com)

11. Pros & cons (short)

• iPad Pro (M4)
  • Pros: Best-in-class mobile performance per watt; industry-leading OLED HDR display; top Apple Pencil experience; optimized apps for touch/pen; strong on-device ML/AI features. (Apple.com)
  • Cons: iPadOS is not a full desktop OS (limits for some pro desktop apps); accessory costs (Magic Keyboard, Pencil Pro) add up; file management and cross‑platform workflows can be different from Windows.
• Surface Pro 9
  • Pros: Full Windows 11 desktop in a detachable; Intel variant supports Thunderbolt 4, removable SSD, wide software compatibility; SQ® 3 variant offers long battery life and 5G. (Microsoft.com)
  • Cons: Pen and touch experience is very good but many creative apps on Windows are not as touch‑first as iPad apps; Intel variants can run hotter/shorter battery under heavy sustained loads; two-platform choice complicates buying (ARM vs Intel tradeoffs).

12. Buying tips

• Decide OS first: if you need native Windows desktop apps, choose Surface Pro (Intel). If you want a tablet-first creative device with best-in-class pen/display and the app ecosystem of iPad, choose iPad Pro. (Microsoft.com)
• Choose CPU variant carefully on Surface Pro 9: Intel = full desktop compatibility and TB4 ports; SQ® 3 = longer battery and 5G but app compatibility caveats. (Microsoft.com)
• Factor in accessory costs: keyboards, pens, and adaptors are usually sold separately. Compare total cost (device + keyboard + pen + storage). (Apple.com)
• Storage & RAM: pick configurations sized to your workflows (video editors should favor higher storage and more RAM; on Surface, the Intel model can go to 32GB). (support.Microsoft.com)

13. Final recommendation (short)

• If your workflow is tablet-first (drawing, painting, mobile video/photo editing inside iPad apps, color‑critical HDR work on the go) — buy iPad Pro (M4). (Apple.com)
• If you need full Windows desktop apps, advanced multitasking, docking/peripherals, or require legacy software (or want a detachable that can entirely replace a laptop), pick Surface Pro 9 (choose Intel for maximum compatibility or SQ® 3 for best battery/5G). (Microsoft.com)

If you want, I can:

• Compare the two with a price/total-cost example including keyboard and pen for specific configurations you’re considering.
• Recommend specific configurations (storage/RAM/Intel vs SQ® 3) based on the exact apps you use (name the apps and typical tasks).

Which would you like next?