Leaked Dell XPS 12 2-in-1 Joins Apple iPad Pro In Mimicking Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so Microsoft should be “elated” that the competition is coming to market with tablet design that look surprisingly similar to its Surface Pro 3. The iPad Pro was introduced earlier this week with a 12.9-inch display, a fold-out Smart Keyboard cover and a much ballyhooed Apple Pencil (which is just Apple speak for an expensive stylus).

Steven Sinofsky, the former Microsoft exec that had a hand in developing the original line of Surface tablets, took to Twitter to lay on the sarcasm following the Apple keynote:

iPad Pro has a magnetic keyboard fold-out keyboard (with seamless key covers). What an awesome idea!! pic.twitter.com/ldspeuAysv

— Steven Sinofsky (@stevesi) September 9, 2015

But it isn’t just Apple that is looking to take some ideas from Microsoft; Dell reportedly has a new tablet up its sleeve in the form of the XPS 12 according to leaked slides. Like the Surface Pro 3, the XPS 12 features its own standalone keyboard that latches magnetically to the tablet. In addition, the keyboard/screen cover can prop up the tablet’s display to turn it into a makeshift laptop. The XPS 12’s keyboard does, however, have a leg up on both the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro 3 thanks to its inclusion of backlit keys, which will be a boon to those typing in dimly lit areas. The keyboard also features a built-in trackpad, something the iPad Pro lacks.

Other specs look mighty tasty to us, including a 4K display (3840x2160) with InfinityEdge (minimizes the display bezels), an 8MP rear camera, 5MP front-facing camera, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, and the Dell Active Stylus. And of course, being that this is a brand new design, it comes straight out of the box with Windows 10 preinstalled. Unfortunately, there is no word on what processor is lurking under the hood, but we’re pretty confident that it will be based on an Intel Skylake processor.

It’s shaping up to be an interesting Fall with regards to 2-in-1 tablet designs. We’ve got the iPad Pro, this new XPS 12, and the inevitable Surface Pro 4 which is expected to be revealed in October. October just so happens to be the same month that Dell is planning to launch its XPS 12…