The $ 80 USB-C dongle of Microsoft's rumor suggests that there will be no new Surface Dock

"There has been a weakness in the Surface tablet series, that's the lack of available expansion ports – a Microsoft default addressed with the Surface Dock. But three years after the announcement of the latest iteration of Dock, Microsoft revealed that a new USB-C dongle is in preparation, which no doubt concords with the fact that no new Dock n & # 39; 39 is available.

Tablets like the Surface Pro (2017) feature only one USB 3.1 type A connector, and this is largely with regard to expansion. Microsoft initially solved the Surface I / O problems with the Surface Dock, a $ 200 extension option Microsoft announced in 2015 that included four USB 3.1 Type A ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, a audio output and a pair of miniDisplayPorts able to drive 4K -solutions of display. Although it has monopolized the tablet's proprietary Surface Connector interface for power and I / O, the Dock has nevertheless provided a reliable and reliable I / O solution.

At the end of this week, Microsoft should provide another. The $ 80 USB-C surface dongle (!) Also connects to the single-surface connector, which means you'll need to unplug the Dock. It will be released June 29, reports The Verge, citing representatives of Microsoft, who were not immediately available to confirm.

This leaves Microsoft seemingly at a crossroads. The USB-C surface connector and power supply and I / O are both provided, but there is only one surface connector built into the surface devices. As USB-C is becoming the norm on phones and some laptops, a USB-C dongle allows for a future where you can replace a specific power brick at the surface with an old charger USB-C lying around. (Only Surface Book 2 includes a USB-C port.)

But because the new dongle will monopolize the Surface connector – and provide only a single USB-C connector, leaving the user at a loss if he wants to connect to more than one. a device. Today, that means buying a USB-C I / O expansion hub. While there are dozens of inexpensive options – Amazon offers an AmazonBasics USB-C hub with three type A ports, plus ethernet for $ 15; or this model ($ 60 on Amazon) that adds HDMI and a card reader-you'll end up with dongles on dongles.

IDG / Mark Hachman

What is not clear, is whether Microsoft provides the dongle as a sop to those who invest in the USB-C interface and devices, or if Microsoft sees the problem. USB-C as a true replacement for the Surface Connector. This last argument is simple: for new Surface Pro iterations, why not replace its proprietary interface with the neutral USB-C connector?

The only joker in all this is that Microsoft has never really understood what its Surface Connector can or can not do, precisely because only Microsoft devices interface with it. The Surface range does not publicly support Thunderbolt, the high-speed I / O interface that uses USB-C as a physical connector. USB-C cables that support the USB 3.1 Gen 2 protocol can support up to 10 Gbps of data, but a Thunderbolt-powered USB-C cable can support 40 Gbps, which is enough for a pair of 4K screens, 60Hz.

If Thunderbolt goes beyond the capabilities of the Surface Connector, it's an argument that Microsoft should put the Surface Connector into pasture and adopt rather Thunderbolt. It will be interesting to see exactly what you can do with the new USB-C dongle when it is finally delivered.

Why this matters (for me): The rumor of a USB-C hub makes the three-year Dock look even more neglected – or at least, a product with untapped potential. Personally, I've always wanted Microsoft to create a version of the Surface Dock incorporating a GPU, so that I can enjoy a light and productive tablet on the go, and then use it for entertainment once. at home. It may be too early to declare the Dock dead, but Microsoft seems to imply that existing USB-C hubs could certainly replace them.