What you need to know
- Microsoft's new Surface Dock 2 and USB-C Travel Hub are available for order.
- Both devices feature USB-C ports, at least one USB-A port, and Ethernet ports.
- The Surface Dock 2 and USB-C Travel Hub are available for order for $260 and $100, respectively.
Microsoft announced a sequel to the Surface Dock and a new USB-C Travel Hub recently, and both are now available for order. Both support connecting devices to modern devices utilizing USB-C ports while also having legacy ports. The Surface Dock 2 works with newer Surface devices whereas the USB-C Travel Hub works with any device that supports USB-C. The Surface Dock 2 costs $260 and the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub costs $100.
The Surface Dock 2 is the sequel to the original Surface Dock that had not been refreshed in years. The Surface Dock 2 is built as a desk companion, allowing you to plug your Surface device into a single port to connect to several peripherals that you leave set up at your desk. The Surface Dock 2 has faster charging and higher data transfer rates than the original Surface Dock. It also has enterprise management tools.
Here are the ports included on the Surface Dock 2:
- 2x front-facing USB-C ports.
- 2x rear-facing, video-enabled USB-C ports
- 2x rear-facing USB-A 3.2 (10Gbps) ports
- 1x Gigabit Ethernet port
- 1x 3.5mm audio in/out port
- Kensington compatible lock
The downside to the Surface Dock 2 is that it only works with certain Surface devices. To use a Surface Dock 2, you need a Surface device made in 2017 or later. Based on this Microsoft support document, the following Surface devices are supported by the Surface Dock 2:
- Surface Book 3
- Surface Book 2
- Surface Pro 7
- Surface Pro 6
- Surface Pro (5th Gen)
- Surface Pro (5th Gen) with LTE Advanced
- Surface Pro X
- Surface Laptop 3
- Surface Laptop 2
- Surface Laptop (1st Gen)
- Surface Go 2
- Surface Go
- Surface Go 2 with LTE Advanced
- Surface Go with LTE Advanced
- Surface Studio 2
The Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub is built for people on the go and works with more devices. Unlike the Surface Dock 2 which is restricted to specific Surface devices, the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub works with any modern PC with a USB-C port. It also works with macOS, Google Chrome, and Android devices that use USB-C. The hub is also much smaller than the Surface Dock 2.
Here is a look at the ports that the Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub has:
- 1x USB-C (10Gbps data transfers and pass-through accessory charging)
- 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps data transfers and pass-through accessory charging)
- 1x Gigabit Ethernet port
- 1x HDMI 2.0 port
- 1x VGA port
- 1x 3.5mm audio in/out jack
Microsoft Surface Dock vs Surface Dock 2: What's the difference?
Both new devices became available on the Microsoft Store today and should be available through other retailers soon. You can read more about the Surface Dock 2 and Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub in our post covering the announcements of the devices.
USB-C heaven
The Surface Dock 2 brings much-needed updates to the original, adding in four USB-C ports alongside the usual Ethernet, USB-A, and 3.5mm jacks.
For all modern PCs
The Microsoft USB-C Travel Hub lets you take more ports on the go, expanding all modern PCs with extra USB-A, VGA, HDMI, and VGA ports in a small package.
