Nokia Lumia 2520 vs Microsoft Surface 2 is a 'no contest,' says Qualcomm

Nokia 2520 vs Microsoft Surface 2 is a 'no contest,' says Qualcomm
Does being Windows RT top dog mean anything, anyway?

If you're one of the few folks out there still looking to buy a Windows RT 8.1 tablet, the Nokia Lumia 2520 should be the hands-down choice over the Microsoft Surface 2, according to chipmaker Qualcomm.

The company said the tablet battle between tech's biggest pair of pals results in an easy victory for the Finnish manufacturer, which it claims outstrips Microsoft's own-branded device in all areas.

"The performance on [the 2520] is brilliant," Qualcomm's senior VP of product management for Qualcomm's application processors, Raj Talluri, told CNET in an interview.

"It's really at the next level. It's not even really a contest [compared to Surface 2] ... In every area, it's much bigger, faster, and lower power."

Snapdragon vs Tegra

Talluri's view isn't exactly impartial as Qualcomm chips sit within the Lumia 2520, whereas Nvidia Tegra processors power the Surface 2, but his assessment is played out by the device's respective specs.

Nokia's tablet brings a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, clocked at 2.2GHz, a 1920 x 1080p HD display and 11 hours of battery life.

Microsoft went back to the drawing board for its Surface 2 tablet with a much improved spec sheet. There's also a 1080p screen, but the quad-core Tegra 4 processor is only clocked at 1.7GHz.

The launch of the Nokia 2520 Windows RT tablet paints tech's BFFs as temporary rivals in the tablet space... at least until Microsoft seals the deal to buy Nokia!

Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.