- Microsoft introduces the Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock.
- The dock ditches the Surface Connect port for the USB-C port.
- The USB-C port also includes support for Thunderbolt 4.
- The new Surface Dock costs $299.99, and you can order it today.
Microsoft unveils its new Surface Dock with Thunderbolt 4 support for $299.99. The dock retains a similar design as the previous version, but the new model ditches the proprietary Surface Connect port in favor of a USB-C port that also supports Thunderbolt 4.
According to the announcement, the new “Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock” connects to devices through a USB Type-C connection that supports speeds of up to 40Gbps (with support for up to two 4K monitors at up to 60Hz) and supplies 96W for charging as a result of the new Thunderbolt 4 support.
On the front, on the other side of the Microsoft logo, you will find one USB-A port alongside one USB-C port, but this time around, you won’t find a port for SD cards.
On the back, the dock features a security lock slot, an audio jack, an Ethernet port (2.5G), two USB-A, and two USB-C ports.
Along with the new version of the dock, the company will continue to offer the original Surface Dock, Surface Dock 2, and the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub for devices that still use the Surface Connect port and do not include support for Thunderbolt 4 or USB Type-C.
The company also notes that this is an eco-friendly device that uses 20 percent of ocean-bound plastic for the dock and the power supply unit enclosures, and the packaging is 99 percent recyclable and free of single-use plastics.
Microsoft is not saying whether this is the beginning of the end for the proprietary Surface Connect port, but it appears that the company has started the slow process of facing it out. The recent release of the Surface Laptop 5 and Surface Pro 9 continue to ship with the Surface Connect port, but they both include USB-C ports that come with Thunderbolt 4 support. However, now with the new dock release could indicate that future Surface devices may also ditch the Surface Connect port.
The Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock is available starting April 4 through the Microsoft Store for $299.99.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].