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vsMars
Head-to-head

Apple - iPad (11th gen) vs Microsoft - Surface Go 4

Last updated · How Mars Score works
iPad (11th gen)APPLEILLUSTRATION
Probe A
Apple
iPad (11th gen)
55.8/ 100D
Performance43· 40%
Display54· 32%
Design73· 28%
Surface Go 4MICROSOFTILLUSTRATION
Probe B
Microsoft
Surface Go 4
54.9/ 100D
Performance46· 40%
Display52· 32%
Design69· 28%
The fork

Where they actually differ

The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.

SpecApple - iPad (11th gen)Microsoft - Surface Go 4
Weight477 g521 g
Peak brightness500 nits350 nits
RAM6 GB8 GB
Screen size11 "10.5 "
Quick verdict

Between the iPad (11th gen) and Surface Go 4, the iPad (11th gen) comes out ahead in weight / peak brightness, while the Surface Go 4 wins on ram. Overall, the iPad (11th gen) scores 55.8 and the Surface Go 4 scores 54.9 on our Mars Score.

Buying advice

Which should you buy?

These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (55.8 vs 54.9). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.

Pick the iPad (11th gen) if the display is what you stare at all day — refresh rate, brightness, or sharpness is where the difference will be most visible. The biggest gaps in its favor are weight, peak brightness, screen size. The single most decisive one: Weight — 44.00 g less. 477 vs 521.

Pick the Surface Go 4 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are ram. The single most decisive one: RAM — 33.33% more. 8 GB vs 6 GB.

Both ship with comparable storage, refresh rate, stylus support, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.

Decision guide

Which should you buy: Apple - iPad (11th gen) or Microsoft - Surface Go 4?

Apple - iPad (11th gen) leads the current Mars Score by 0.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, ram against the way you will actually use the product.

Choose Apple - iPad (11th gen) if…

Apple - iPad (11th gen) has the measurable edge on weight g, peak brightness nits, screen size in.

Choose Microsoft - Surface Go 4 if…

Microsoft - Surface Go 4 has the measurable edge on ram gb.

This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.

Why Apple - iPad (11th gen) wins

  • Weight — 44.00 g less. 477 vs 521.
  • Peak brightness — 42.86% more. 500 nits vs 350 nits.
  • Screen size — 4.76% more. 11 " vs 10.5 ".

Why Microsoft - Surface Go 4 wins

  • RAM — 33.33% more. 8 GB vs 6 GB.
Full readout

Spec comparison

Display

SpecApple - iPad (11th gen)Microsoft - Surface Go 4
Screen size11 "lead10.5 "
Refresh rate60 Hz60 Hz
PanelLCDLCD
Peak brightness500 nitslead350 nits

Performance

SpecApple - iPad (11th gen)Microsoft - Surface Go 4
ChipsetApple A16Intel N200
RAM6 GB8 GBlead
Storage128 GB128 GB

Design

SpecApple - iPad (11th gen)Microsoft - Surface Go 4
Weight477 glead521 g
Stylus supporttruetrue
Cellulartrueleadfalse
OSiPadOSWindowslead
Drill down

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