Microsoft’s new Surface Dock ditches proprietary port and uses Thunderbolt 4

Microsoft is introducing a new version of its Surface Dock that uses Thunderbolt 4 for the first time in place of Microsoft’s proprietary Surface Connect port. The Microsoft Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock costs $300 ($40 more than the regular price of the previous generation Surface Dock 2) and is available today.

The new dock measures 5.91 by 2.95 by 0.84 inches—slightly flatter, wider, and deeper than the Dock 2—and includes a total of three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, three 5Gb/s USB-A ports, and a 2.5Gb/s Ethernet port. port and headphone jack. The docking station can provide up to 96W of power to a connected laptop, which should be enough to power most laptops that charge via USB-C.

Microsoft only advertises compatibility with its products, but because it uses Thunderbolt 4, the dock should work with most devices with USB-C or Thunderbolt ports, including most laptops and MacBooks (although we don’t know if macOS includes drivers for a built-in Ethernet port, and the number of external displays supported may depend on how many of those your MacBook supports). Microsoft says laptops with regular USB-C ports can drive a single 4K display at 60Hz, while two 4K displays at 60Hz require Thunderbolt.

We don’t want to read too much about introducing a single accessory, but the move from Surface Connect to Thunderbolt 4 for the Surface Dock suggests that the following Surface devices may ship without a Surface Connect port. The current Surface Connect port dates back to the 2014 Surface Pro 3, providing compatibility across many generations of Surface chargers and other accessories. Like Apple’s revived MagSafe port, it also detaches easily if you trip or pull on it, saving your PC from falling to the floor.

Surfaces with USB-C and Thunderbolt ports can usually be charged using those ports or Surface Connect, giving users the freedom to use whichever charger they prefer. But most new PC laptops charge via USB-C — many of them only have USB-C or Thunderbolt ports — so the removal of the Surface Connect port puts Microsoft on par with what most of its competitors are doing.