Surface Pro 4 vs. MacBook 12” 2016: Full specs comparison

We thoroughly analyzed technical specifications for Surface Pro 4 and MacBook 12” 2016 models, including CPU, memory, storage, battery life, display quality, and other features.

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Surface Pro 4 image

Surface Pro 4

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MacBook 12” 2016

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Surface Pro 4 Pros

Reasons that Surface Pro 4 is better than MacBook 12” 2016.

Significantly faster CPU performance

Intel Core i7-6650U inside Surface Pro 4 has a 26% better multi-core CPU performance score than the Intel Core m7-6Y75 inside MacBook 12” 2016.

Geekbench 5 multi-core score
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core i7-6650U
1,757
MacBook 12” 2016 - Intel Core m7-6Y75
1,390
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core i5-6300U
1,319
MacBook 12” 2016 - Intel Core m5-6Y54
1,295
Surface Pro 4 - Intel Core m3-6Y30
1,058
MacBook 12” 2016 - Intel Core m3-6Y30
1,058
Supports larger memory

Surface Pro 4 supports a larger memory capacity than the MacBook 12” 2016. It supports up to 16GB versus 8GB of system memory on the MacBook 12” 2016.

Max system memory size
Surface Pro 4
16 GB
MacBook 12” 2016
8 GB
Upgradable storage

Surface Pro 4 comes with a single removable M.2 SSD slot that you can replace and upgrade in the future.

SlotsSurface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
M.2
Yes x1
Onboard
About 17% lighter

Surface Pro 4 weighed 1.69 pounds, 17% lighter than the 2.03 pounds MacBook 12” 2016.

WeightSurface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Pound
1.69 lbs.
2.03 lbs.
Kilogram
0.77 kg
0.92 kg

MacBook 12” 2016 Pros

We couldn't find any advantages of MacBook 12” 2016 over Surface Pro 4.

Key Similars

Similar characteristics share between Surface Pro 4 and MacBook 12” 2016.

Uses the same memory type and speed

Both laptops supports the same 1866MHz LPDDR3 RAM.

Memory type and speed
Surface Pro 4 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz
MacBook 12” 2016 - LPDDR3
1,866 MHz

Prices

Here are the latest price updates and offers for both devices.

Surface Pro 4 Price
Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
 Latest Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (2736 x 1824) Tablet 6th Generation (Intel Core i5-6300U, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Bluetooth, Dual Camera) Windows 10 Professional (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$249.38
$264.00 6% OFF
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core M, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (Intel Core M, 4GB RAM, 128GB) with Windows 10 Anniversary Update (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$217.05
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Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
 Microsoft Surface Pro 4; 256 GB, 8 GB RAM, Intel Core i5 (Renewed)
By Microsoft
$299.00
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MacBook 12” 2016 Price
Apple MNYF2LL/A 12in MacBook, Retina, 1.2GHz Intel Core m3 Dual Core Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Mac OS, Space Gray (Newest Version) (Renewed)
 Apple MNYF2LL/A 12in MacBook, Retina, 1.2GHz Intel Core m3 Dual Core Processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, Mac OS, Space Gray (Newest Version) (Renewed)
By Apple
$352.97
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Apple MacBook 12in Laptop w/ Retina Display 1.2GHz Core M, (MJY42LL/A), 8GB Memory, 512GB Solid State Drive, Space Gray (Space Gray)(Renewed)
 Apple MacBook 12in Laptop w/ Retina Display 1.2GHz Core M, (MJY42LL/A), 8GB Memory, 512GB Solid State Drive, Space Gray (Space Gray)(Renewed)
By Apple
$396.00
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Apple MacBook MF855LL/A 12-Inch Laptop with Retina Display Silver, 256 GB (Renewed)
 Apple MacBook MF855LL/A 12-Inch Laptop with Retina Display Silver, 256 GB (Renewed)
By Apple
$269.92
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Specs Comparison

Availability

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Released20152016
Release Date
  • Introduced: October 7, 2015
  • Pre-ordered: October 7, 2015
  • Released: October 26, 2015
  • Announced on April 19, 2016
  • Available on April 19, 2016
PricingStarting at 899$
  • $1,299
    Intel Core m3-6Y30 | 8GB RAM | 256GB SSD
  • $1,599
    Intel Core m5-6Y54 | 8GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Generations-

Exterior

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Size Comparison
Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Dimensions11.50” x 7.93” x 0.33” (292 mm x 201.42 mm x 8.4 mm)
Width: 11.50” (292 mm)
Height: 7.93” (201.42 mm)
Thickness: 0.33” (8.4 mm)
11.04” x 7.74” x 0.14 - 0.52” (280.5 mm x 196.5 mm x 3.5 - 13.1 mm)
Weight
  • Intel Core m3: 1.69 lbs (766 g)
  • Intel Core i5 and i7: 1.73 lbs (786 g)
Starting at 2.03 pounds (920 g)
Colors
Silver
Silver Space Gray Gold Rose Gold
Keyboard and Trackpad
  • Surface Type Cover
    • Not included
    • Weight: 0.68 lb (310 g)
    • Dimension: 11.61 x 8.54 x 0.19 inches (295 mm x 216 mm x 5mm)
  • Keyboard:
    • Activation: Moving (mechanical) keys
    • Layout: QWERTY, full row of function keys (F1-F12)
    • 4 directional keys; Windows, Brightness and Media Controls Keys;
    • LED backlighting
  • Trackpad:
    • Precision glass trackpad.
    • Trackpad size: 4 x 2 inches (101.6 mm x 50.8 mm)
    • Supports a five-finger multitouch gesture.
Full-size backlit keyboard with:
  • 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) individual LED backlit keys, including 12 function keys and 4 arrow keys with ambient light sensor
  • Force Touch trackpad for precise cursor control and pressure-sensing capabilities; enables Force clicks, accelerators, pressure-sensitive drawing, and Multi-Touch gestures

Display

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Size12.3 Inches12 Inches
Info
  • Resolution: 2736 x 1824 (5M Pixels)
  • Density: 267 PPI
  • PixelSense™ Display
  • Contrast ratio: 1300:1
  • Aspect ratio: 3:2
  • Inking: designed together with Surface Pen
  • Touch: 10 points multi-touch with GPU-based processing
  • 100 percent sRGB color, individually calibrated
Retina display
  • 12-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology
  • 2304-by-1440 resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors
  • 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Supported scaled resolutions:
    • 1440 by 900
    • 1280 by 800
    • 1024 by 640

Ports

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Surface Pro 4 Ports
Image Source: Microsoft
Left (1)
  • 1 x headphone jack
    Headphone/Microphone
Right (3)
  • 1 x Mini DisplayPort
  • 1 x USB-A
    USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
  • 1 x Surface Connect
    Charging, Docking Station
Bottom (1)
  • 1 x Type Cover port
Under Kickstand (1)
  • 1 x microSD card slot
One USB Type-C port with support for:
  • Charging
  • USB 3.1 Gen 1 (up to 5 Gbps)
  • Native DisplayPort 1.2 video output
  • VGA output using USB-C VGA Multiport Adapter (sold separately)
  • HDMI video output using USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter (sold separately)

Internal Specs

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Processor
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 0.90 → 2.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.40 → 3.00 GHz, 3MB SmartCache, 15W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U
    2 cores, 4 threads, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 15W
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    2 cores, 4 threads, 0.90 → 2.20 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m5-6Y54
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.10 → 2.70 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m7-6Y75
    2 cores, 4 threads, 1.20 → 3.10 GHz, 4MB SmartCache, 4.5W
Integrated Graphics
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 515
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-6300U
    Intel® HD Graphics 520
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-6650U
    Intel® Iris® Graphics 540
    48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
  1. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m3-6Y30
    Intel® HD Graphics 515
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 850 MHz
  2. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m5-6Y54
    Intel® HD Graphics 515
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 900 MHz
  3. 6th Gen Intel® Core™ m7-6Y75
    Intel® HD Graphics 515
    24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
Memory
4GB 8GB 16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 RAM
8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory
Storage
128 GB 256 GB 512 GB 1 TB
PCIe NVMe SSD
256GB 512GB
PCIe-based onboard flash storage.

Connectivity

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Wi-Fi
  • Wi-Fi 5: IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac compatible.
  • 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
  • Bluetooth Wireless 4.0 technology
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

Battery

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Size38.2 Wh41.4 Wh lithium‑polymer battery
Battery LifeUp to 9 hours of video playback
  • Up to 10 hours of wireless web
  • Up to 11 hours of iTunes movie playback
  • Up to 30 days of standby time
Power Supply
  • 36W proprietary power supply
    • USB-A output: 5W
    • Surface Connect: 31W
29W USB-C Power Adapter

Software

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
OSWindows 10 ProShipped with OS X El Capitan
Built-in AppsMicrosoft Office 30-days trial
Photos iMovie GarageBand Pages Numbers Keynote Safari Mail Messages FaceTime Calendar Notes App Store iTunes iBooks Maps Contacts Reminders

Camera & Audio

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
Camera
  • Windows Hello face authentication camera (front-facing)
  • 5.0MP front-facing camera with 1080p Skype HD video
  • 8.0MP rear-facing autofocus camera with 1080p full HD video
480p FaceTime HD camera
Audio
  • Dual microphones
  • Front-facing stereo speakers with Dolby® Audio
  • Stereo speakers
  • Dual microphones
  • 3.5 mm headphone jack
    • Support for Apple iPhone headset with remote and microphone

Misc

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
InkingSupports Surface Pen
1024 levels of pressure
magnetic storage
-
Sensors
  • Ambient light sensor
  • Accelerometer
  • Gyroscope
  • Magnetometer
-
Security
  • HW TPM 2.0 chip for enterprise security
  • Enterprise-grade protection with Windows Hello face sign-in
-
In the box
  • Surface Pro 4
  • Surface Pen
  • Power supply
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Safety and warranty documents
  • MacBook
  • 29W USB-C Power Adapter
  • USB-C Charge Cable (2 m)
Warranty
  • One-year limited hardware warranty
Limited Warranty and ServiceYour MacBook comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer’s purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts. For more information, visit Apple Support or call 800-823-2275. 
More
  • Mechanical features: Signature unibody magnesium design with hidden perimeter venting
  • Kickstand with a full-friction multiposition hinge to 150 degrees
  • Magnetic attach for keyboard fold stability
  • Physical buttons: volumes, power
Video Support
  • Intel HD Graphics 515
  • Dual display and video mirroring: simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to 3840 by 2160 pixels at 30Hz on an external display, both at millions of colors

Key Features

Surface Pro 4MacBook 12” 2016
At Glance
Released in Mid
2015
3:2 2.7K
12.3”
1824p 60Hz
Weight
1.69 lb
0.77 kg
Up to
Intel Core i7-6650U
2C/4T, 2.20 → 3.40 GHz
Geekbench 5
764
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,757
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® Iris® Graphics 540
48 Execution Units with 64 MB eDRAM side cache, 300 → 1050 MHz
Configurable up to
16GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3
Surface Pro 4 Ports
Released in Early
2016
16:10 QHD
12”
1440p 60Hz
Weight
2.03 lb
0.92 kg
Up to
Intel Core m7-6Y75
2C/4T, 1.20 → 3.10 GHz
Geekbench 5
639
Single Core
Geekbench 5
1,390
Multi-Core
With integrated
Intel® HD Graphics 515
24 Execution Units, 300 → 1000 MHz
8GB
1866 MHz LPDDR3

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