Is Apple iPad Pro A Copy Of Microsoft Surface Pro?

While the Apple-Samsung and Apple-Android rivalry is more well-known, the Apple-Microsoft one is older. Microsoft executive Ryan Gavin added fuel to the fire Friday, when he alleged the recently released Apple iPad Pro was copying the Microsoft Surface Pro.

"We have been learning and perfecting our products in the 2-in-1 category for years now, [but] when Surface initially launched everyone was skeptical, including them [Apple]. And then they followed, and the iPad Pro is a clear example of that," he told Business Insider Friday.

Read: Apple iPad Pro 10.5-inch Vs. Surface Pro 5

Apple is yet to comment on his statement but the new iPad Pro, especially along with its detachable keyboard, seems akin to what Microsoft has been doing with its Surface range for the past few years.

There hasn’t been much common between the two companies’ offerings for years, since Microsoft has been always been looking to target the PC industry while Apple’s focus has been more on portable devices such the iPad and iPhone. Microsoft’s major focus has been its Windows OS, while Apple’s has been premium hardware.

But when it comes to the Surface’s form factor, Microsoft has highlighted they were the first ones on the scene in terms of coming out with a 2-in 1 tablet. Apple did not offer proper keyboard support at the time, but allowed users to connect third-party keyboards and use them as accessories.

Microsoft’s contention is supported by the fact that in iOS 11, Apple is offering some PC-like features such as file access and an app dock, which seems similar to its Mac-series laptops.

That being said, the focus of both companies still seems different. At the core, the Apple iPad Pro is actually just a tablet and is better suited in its role as one. It doesn’t seem to have any aspirations of, nor can it actually replace a PC experience. The Surface meanwhile works like a PC, has a PC-based OS and is actually designed like a PC, but with a hybrid form factor and simple functioning.

With the Apple iPad Pro, the company’s focus seems to be corporate users, something which has traditionally been Microsoft’s domain and it is the reason Gavin’s comment is important. It is an acknowledgment of the new competitor entering the 2-in-1 tablet market and is also an assertion of the company’s innovation, something for which it had been overshadowed by companies like Apple.

Read: Apple MacBook Pro 2017 vs. Microsoft Surface Laptop

But, it’s not like Microsoft’s products are just standing on their own. The Surface Laptop, the company’s new offering this year, has a form factor reminiscent of Apple’s MacBook Air.

When asked why Microsoft made the Surface Laptop, since there are already so many Windows PCs available in the market, Gavin said, "I'm gonna give you the short, non-BS answer. Our customers wanted it."