Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 | Microsoft - Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 444 g | 895 g |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Peak brightness | 1600 nits | 900 nits |
| Screen size | 11 " | 13 " |
Between the iPad Pro 11 M4 and Surface Pro 11, the iPad Pro 11 M4 comes out ahead in weight / peak brightness, while the Surface Pro 11 wins on ram / storage. Overall, the iPad Pro 11 M4 scores 61.9 and the Surface Pro 11 scores 59.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (61.9 vs 59.6). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPad Pro 11 M4 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. The single most decisive one: Weight — 451.00 g less. 444 vs 895.
Pick the Surface Pro 11 if you care most about ram / storage. Its strongest claims are ram, storage, screen size. The single most decisive one: RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
Both ship with comparable 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.
Which should you buy: Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 or Microsoft - Surface Pro 11?
Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 leads the current Mars Score by 2.3 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, ram, storage against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 if…
Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 has the measurable edge on weight g, peak brightness nits.
Choose Microsoft - Surface Pro 11 if…
Microsoft - Surface Pro 11 has the measurable edge on ram gb, storage gb, screen size in.
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 Pro 11 M4 wins
- ▲Weight — 451.00 g less. 444 vs 895.
- ▲Peak brightness — 77.78% more. 1600 nits vs 900 nits.
Why Microsoft - Surface Pro 11 wins
- ▲RAM — 100.00% more. 16 GB vs 8 GB.
- ▲Storage — 100.00% more. 512 GB vs 256 GB.
- ▲Screen size — 18.18% more. 13 " vs 11 ".
Spec comparison
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 | Microsoft - Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 11 " | 13 "lead |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hz | 120 Hz |
| Panelⓘ | OLED | OLED |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 1600 nitslead | 900 nits |
Performance
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPad Pro 11 M4 | Microsoft - Surface Pro 11 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 444 glead | 895 g |
| Stylus support | true | true |
| Cellular | true | true |
| OS | iPadOS | Windowslead |