Microsoft just launched its new Surface Pro, after recently announcing its attempt to take on the MacBook in the form of the Surface Laptop.
And while both machines look pretty darn sleek, there’s been one small issue with both which has caused a minor stir among fans.
Neither the Surface Laptop nor Surface Pro come with a USB Type-C port, which disappointed many looking for the added future-proofing.
Related: New Surface Pro 2017 vs Surface Pro 4
And while Microsoft’s Surface chief, Panos Panay, seemed entirely unconcerned with the lack of the newer USB standard when the Surface Laptop launched, it seems there are plans to address the issue.
Panay spoke to The Verge, revealing Microsoft will be releasing a new dongle for the Surface Laptop and new Surface Pro which adds USB C to the devices.
A prototype of the Surface Laptop appeared to feature USB C support
The new adapter will work as any other dongle does, and will plug into the Surface connector port on the machines.
Panay told The Verge: “If you want to charge a device with a Type-C charger, you can. If you want to put data back and forth with a Type-C peripheral, you can.
“…The last thing I want is to take away the port they need today and tomorrow and the next day, to achieve a technology milestone where I then put a barrier in front of my customers.
“A dongle or an adaptor or a cable that didn’t work because it was Thunderbolt or wasn’t Thunderbolt or I bought the wrong peripheral or I tried to charge it with my phone charger but it wasn’t enough to charge my device all day. Those are those moments.”
A promotional video for the Surface Laptop previously revealed an early prototype of the laptop did feature a USB C port, but for whatever reason, Redmond decided to hold off on providing it on the final product.
At this point, it’s unclear exactly when the new dongle will be available, but Panay did reveal that it would be some time later this year, so stay tuned.
Are you glad to hear about the dongle? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
