Dubbed by Microsoft as "the perfect balance of performance and value," the latest addition to the Surface family, the Microsoft Surface 3, is nearly one week old. The Redmond corporation announced the device on Mar. 31, and at this point, it has already been compared to a number of devices, existing and not.

Needless to say, the tablet's arrival has surprised many followers, considering the grapevine's saturation of Surface Pro 4 rumors. People had been wondering when the next iteration of the Surface Pro is coming but here comes Microsoft with a different product nevertheless.

Microsoft intended the Surface 3 to possess "the very best" of the Surface Pro 3, all packed into one convenient and more affordable slate. In addition to the standard tablet, a mobile-broadband version (4G LTE) is also available.

While the iPad Pro (aka iPad Air Plus / iPad Plus) has not been confirmed by Apple, the device looks to be a Surface 3 rival, as far as its purported specs are concerned. Let's take a look at how the tablets potentially fare against each other.

Release Date & Pricing

Before we get into specs, note that the Surface 3, starting at $499, is already available to pre-order here. According to TechRadar, Microsoft aims to launch the device in 26 markets on May 7.

Interestingly, the iPad Pro is purported to arrive this month, along with the likewise-rumored iPad Mini 4. Another side of the story, however, pegs the device to launch in the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), expected to take place in June.

The rumored Apple device is speculated to sell between the iPad Air and MacBook Air' price tags. Currently, the iPad Air starts from $399 for its space gray and silver models. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, starts from $899 for its 11-inch version; the 13-inch model retails from $999.

Display

The Surface 3 comes with a 10.8-inch screen that's slightly smaller compared to its Surface Pro 3 counterpart. As noted by ZDNet, it features ClearType Full HD Plus display, packing a resolution of 1920 x 1280 pixels. Display is also supported by 10-point multi-touch and Surface Pen.

If rumors aimed at the iPad Pro hold absolute truth, the device will definitely be larger than the Surface 3. It is believed that the Apple slate comes with a 12.9-inch screen.

In another article, TechRadar cited rumors, which claimed that the device arrives in 2K and 4K display versions. That could mean as much resolution as 4096 x 3072 pixels.

Design

Weighing 1.37 lbs (622 g), the Surface 3 measures 10.52 x 7.36 x 0.34 in (267 x 187 x 8.7 mm). To date, the device is known as the thinnest and lightest Surface the company has ever shipped.

An earlier mold linked with the iPad Pro sprang speculations on a measurement of 12 x 8.7 x 0.27 in (305.3 mm x 220.8 mm x 7.0 mm). As suggested by the PCAdvisor, prospects can expect the iPad Pro's thickness to come between 7 and 9 mm, while its weight would be around 550 g.

Processor, Storage & RAM

Under the Surface 3's hood is a quad-core Intel Atom x7-Z8700 processor, supported by 2 MB cache and Intel Burst technology (up to 2.4 GHz). In terms of storage, the device is offered in 64 and 128 GB models, supported by 2 and 4 GB of RAM, respectively.

The iPad Pro is touted to have an A9 processor, coupled with 4 GB of DRAM. Expected storage includes 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB options.

Camera

The Surface 3 comes with an 8 MP main camera and 3.5 MP front snapper.

Information on the exact megapixel sported by the iPad Pro's camera/s is/are not known, but for an insight, 4k.com wrote, "We'll just have to see and base our guesses off of what the latest iPhone will have inside it (a 13 megapixel camera and Sony CMOS sensor)."

These are just few specs and features that differentiate the existing Surface 3 from the rumored iPad Pro. Because the former is targeted for the average consumer, the Apple tablet looks to be in advantage.

Are you surprised by Microsoft's latest release? Will the Surface Pro 4 compete better against the iPad Pro? Sound off in the comments section.