Microsoft Surface chief Panos Panay said it would be a dongle for "people who love dongles," and boy howdy was he right. The brick pictured above is NOT an entire docking station. It's the dongle that Microsoft built to add a single USB-C port -- yes just one -- to a Microsoft Surface Pro tablet, Surface Book or Surface Laptop for data and charging.
Did I mention it costs $80? That's what Microsoft told The Verge, which says the so-called Surface Connect to USB-C Adapter (scroll down that page) will be available June 29.
You would think that Microsoft would have future-proofed most of its devices with built-in USB-C ports, but you'd be wrong -- the company has generally (the Surface Book 2 being the exception) stuck with its proprietary magnetic Surface Connect port so far.
(That's not to say that Surface Connect doesn't have benefits. It's magnetic like Apple's old MagSafe connector, meaning your PC won't take a tumble if you trip over the cord.)
USB-C might take over from Surface Connect in some of Microsoft's future Surface PCs, though. Rumors suggest a new, smaller low-cost Surface slate in particular might come with the increasingly universal port.
Microsoft didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
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