Between the Pad 2 and Surface Pro 12, the Pad 2 comes out ahead in peak brightness and weight, while the Surface Pro 12 wins on ram. Overall, the Pad 2 scores 62.7 and the Surface Pro 12 scores 61.7 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (62.7 vs 61.7). The decision isn't about overall quality — both clear the bar — it's about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the Pad 2 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 peak brightness, weight, refresh rate, among others.
Pick the Surface Pro 12 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.
Both ship with comparable storage, stylus support, so those specs don't 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 tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Why OnePlus - Pad 2 wins
- ▲Peak brightness — 125.00% more. 900 nits vs 400 nits.
- ▲Weight — 102.00 g less. 584 vs 686.
- ▲Refresh rate — 60.00% more. 144 Hz vs 90 Hz.
- ▲Screen size — 0.83% more. 12.1 " vs 12 ".
Why Microsoft - Surface Pro 12 wins
- ▲RAM — 33.33% more. 16 GB vs 12 GB.
Spec comparison
Display
| Spec | OnePlus - Pad 2 | Microsoft - Surface Pro 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen sizeⓘ | 12.1 "lead | 12 " |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 144 Hzlead | 90 Hz |
| Panelⓘ | LCD | LCD |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 900 nitslead | 400 nits |
Performance
Design
| Spec | OnePlus - Pad 2 | Microsoft - Surface Pro 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 584 glead | 686 g |
| Stylus support | true | true |
| Cellular | false | false |
| OS | Android | Windowslead |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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