Why Microsoft's new Surface Pro doesn't have a USB Type-C port

Microsoft announced the all-new Surface Pro for 2017 today in Shanghai, China. The fifth generation of the "most versatile laptop" is impressive thanks to many new improvements. Like other new devices, though, there seems to always be at least one controversial decision. This time around it's the lack of a new USB Type-C port, which is quickly becoming the darling of tech enthusiasts.

What was Microsoft thinking? We sat down with Microsoft's Vice President of Devices Panos Panay and asked him to explain the decision.

What do people use USB Type-C for?

USB Type-C is poised to be the ultimate all-in-one port for devices in the future, but its status is still opaque for consumers.

Microsoft did research on why people want USB Type-C. Panay said that "by far" the number one use for Type-C is charging. Data and external hubs are a distant second, he said, with external GPUs (eGPUs) falling squarely in the niche enthusiast category.

The problem for Microsoft is consumer confusion. The company tried before with a standardized power port with the Surface 3 and micro USB. "Many customers complained about their Surface 3 not being able to charge," Panay said.

The problem was that customers were not using the included Surface micro USB charger, but regular phone chargers – which are also underpowered for the task. While prosumers know this, your average Joe is befuddled at trying to figure out A/C output for a micro USB wall charger.

Microsoft's magnetic Surface Connect power port.

Panay shared the following analogy. "Imagine you have just one pair of socks. You always know where those socks are. Now suppose you have ten pairs of socks. Suddenly it's now not so important to know where they all are as you always have a backup."

The comparison is interesting. According to Microsoft, people tend to lose their A/C wall chargers when they assume they can use any similar charger. (Confession: I have lost my micro USB Surface charger and have experienced the "under charging" effect of using a phone charger as a replacement. Analogy confirmed.)

What consumers do not do is lose their Surface Connect A/C Charger. After all, they only have one.

The same problem exists for USB Type-C. While many Type-C phone chargers will fit into a PC's port and even light up the charging indicator, they rarely meet a 45W or 65W output to charge a Core i7 laptop.

Grabbing your Type-C phone charger and Surface Pro for a road trip sounds amazing, but that moment you realize your laptop is not being charged can be devastating.

Microsoft is not against USB Type-C

Panay insists that the company is not against using USB Type-C in its products. However, when building for the average consumer, the design and engineering team is adamant that it is still too early and perplexing.

Take, for instance, Thunderbolt 3. While USB Type-C can support Thunderbolt 3 for 40Gbps data throughput, most Type-C ports are not configured to do so. Part of the reason is cost – it's more expensive to implement. Another reason is hardware engineering – it's harder to make thin devices with full Thunderbolt 3 because the PCB board needs reconfiguration. (This is partially solved by Intel's "Kaby Lake" processors, however.)

Even then, Thunderbolt 3 is a confusing mess. Dell infamously supports the standard but only uses two PCIe lanes versus the recommended four. As a result, it can do some Thunderbolt 3 things but falls behind on eGPU support. Toss in the different USB Type-C chargers and their outputs, and suddenly this magical port is a nightmare for your average consumer (who may not even know why it's there).

Microsoft and the Surface team say they will adopt the technology when the time is right.

Help is on the way thanks to Surface Connect Type-C adapter

During our conversation on the topic, Panay asked one of his engineers for an adapter. Although it was just a prototype, this adapter plugged right into the Surface Connect port. That proprietary port is used for charging all the current Surface Pros and Surface Book in addition to being used for the optional Surface Dock.

The forthcoming adapter from Microsoft converts the Surface Connect to a USB Type-C port. It works with power and data, too, while keeping the Surface Connect's magnetic abilities in place.

Although such a conversion dongle won't satisfy everybody's yearning for a native Type-C port, it should mollify many.

The Surface Connect/Type-C converter gives people who want to charge their Surface via Type-C an easy solution. Likewise, for those who want to utilize Type-C hubs. Surface Connect – via the Surface Hub – already supports two high-definition video ports, a gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 3.0 ports, and an audio output, so any Type-C conversion should be similar.

The takeaway

Some potential Surface Pro buyers will not find solace in any of the above rationales. The dream of a Surface Pro with full Thunderbolt 3 support to power dual-4K displays or an eGPU is out of reach. Still, from a pragmatic perspective, the decision by the Surface team makes some sense. Panay told us the company prototyped the Surface Laptop and new Surface Pro with USB Type-C but thought the Surface Connect charger is currently a better solution for the masses.

Whether or not that statement is true for you will likely vary. A conversion dongle for Surface Connect to Type-C is liable to go a long way to fixing the problem, but for now Microsoft is forgoing the nascent technology.

From my personal experience, much of Panay's reasoning rings true. I have Type-C on many of my laptops, but admittedly I only use the port for charging. Occasionally I plug in a Type-C hub, but it's not a common usage scenario. I can't say that the lack of Type-C is a deal-breaker for me. But it'd be good to have.

Update 5/24/17: Intel just announced that starting in 2018 it is dropping royalty fees for Thunderbolt 3 usage and is integrating the technology into the CPU. Both moves should streamline and increase adoption by companies like Microsoft for future products.

Luckily, many of Microsoft's partners are adopting USB Type-C in their convertibles, giving consumers even more choice. Whether the conservative bet on Type-A pays off for the new Surface Pro remains to be seen, but at least you now have a clearer idea of why Microsoft made the decision it did.

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

247 Comments

I understand not wanting to ditch the Surface Connect port, it's great and easy to use. But why not ditch the Mini DisplayPort for USB-C? Mini DisplayPort only carries video, while USB-C carries video (using a DisplayPort signal), data and power. That's the part that I'm upset about, and nothing in this explanation answers that question.
Well pretty simple, because a lot of people use the mini display port, more than those who use usb-c video. It's not about a port being better than the other, it's just which is needed by most people.
By that logic, we should still be using USB-A 2.0 ports. We'll never progress if users aren't at least given the option. USB-C simply makes far more sense than keeping mini-DP around.
That logic did not hold. Regardless of whether it's 2.0 or 3.0 its still a USB A port. All accessories that use USB A will work
That wasn't the point. His logic was that, because "a lot of people" use the mini-DP port, USB-C isn't needed. So, by that logic, none of the modern ports should exist and we should all be using computers with nothing but USB-A 2.0 (or 3.0, for your sake) ports.
Got it
Very different please. USB 3.1 is fully backwards compatible both physically and electronically with all prior generations down to version 1.0. The so called average consumer does not even know the difference since it will typically always work at some speed
Wow... That's not even the point.
Do you think they would not use a type C port if the transition was as seamless as that of type A between 1.0 and 3.1? Your analogy is not valid here because the reasons stated in the article have a lot to do with use cases and usability as well as associated benefits vs shortcomings at present rather than a simplistic stubborn refusal to advance in technology. You can see all the thought and research that went into the choice is you actually read the article.
I'm not concerned about what the article says. I'm talking about Azizelh's comment.
WHY is there no USB-C?
Because Microsoft wants more money so they will offer you an ADAPTER and YOU will buy it :) thats why
Yes i will buy it! Because it means that I will not have to replace my Surface Pro 4 to get a USB-C port!
Unless you're poor I don't see the problem. Also, if they did Type-C they'd still make you a Type-C adapter/Hub to sell you, so your argument is dumb.
There are plenty of direct USB-C devices (phones, flash drives and displays are the obvious examples) whereas that's not really the case with mini-DP. I'm also leaning on the side that this is just a money grab from Microsoft.
Every conference room in my building has a Mini DisplayPort connection. It's used by our Surface users, our Mac users, and our Dell users. Not one of those rooms has a USB-C connection, even though our CIO has a MacBook. It will change over time, but for today and the next year, it's more likely that the business world is going to be more weighted toward MDP than USBC.
Wow Daniel. I'm not poor but I still won't buy a Surface Pro to replace my Surface Pro 4. Even with all the considerations Microsoft explained, I'd just want them to fully implement USB-C. Especially given the price didn't go down and the pen is now an additional $99. Perhaps the best bet is a dock with USB-C for my Surface Pro 4. Though as I sit on my tiny little boat at the marina this summer, crying about my abject poverty I'd like to have a Surface Pro for it's longer battery life. Also it would be less of a load when I'm riding one of my 8 motorcycles. Nope I'm not rich, but I"m too poor to upgrade from the Surface Pro 4 to the Surface Pro (unless my 14yr old daughter, tells me she is ready for my Surface Pro 4 to replace her Surface 3). Well back to rubbing my two pennies together. btw: take what I said in jest. Though there are probably some who are poor that really love technology and all angles of value have to be in play before they would upgrade. No offense intended.
The Surface Pen isn't included anymore?! Given Microsoft's stance towards USB-C and their apparent nickel-and-dime approach, this isn't surprising.
It is exactly the opposite of what you are saying. They are not forcing people to purchase a pen when they don't want one or already have one (or previous version of the pen). What they are doing is consumer friendly, and what you are proposing is anti-consumer. Also, why are you spamming this article with nonsense comments?
They took the pen away yet are charging the same price for a comparably-spec'd product that previously included the pen. That is not consumer friendly. What nonsense? Seems like it's only considered nonsense if people don't agree.
A sarcastic sense of humor. Well done,sir. Well done, indeed.
@pineapple, the article explains it perfectly...please read it.
The fact is, that the vast majority of users use USB A and not USB C. Please see apple for dropping of ports...they ditched all USB A ports for only usb C.....dumb idea since now many users DO have to buy adapters...unlike microsoft users who pretty well all have usb A devices like HD's, printers card readers etc....
when Apple has been doing this for ages we dont complain so why complain when MS does it?
They're actually changing for the better, it seems. Microsoft is going backwards in this respect.
How exactly is it going backwards when it's the status quo? The mentioned adapter takes you forward while you get to retain all of your USB type A devices.
Apple went straight for USB-C while Microsoft is holding onto an older port for the sake of making money from adapters for at least another year.
Microsoft aleardy have a magnetic port that soes everything the USB-C port does (and you get a USB-A port as well). The reality is that Apple removed the Magsafe port and replaced it with charging by USB-C because large numbers of peoplle will break the port by tripping on the cable and Apple will sell/repair millions of computers - making hundreds of millions in extra profit.
Instead of giving you the new, forward-thinking port, they retain the old one while the rest of the industry is already well ahead. No justifying it.
Apple has been doing this for years, nothing new really, Microsoft just jumped on the same bandwagon of $39.00 and $49.00 adapters. I for one would prefer to see a USB-C port and get the appropriate adapter to connect to whatever I need.
@besweeet, one of my rules in product development is, "Don't give your customers something they can misuse and then hold against you, because they absolutely will." From the article, it's pretty clear that's the rule MS was following here. They don't want customers getting angry because their new Surface won't charge from the same USB-C charger that works fine for their phone. Customers would understandably blame MS for that. I was originally in the camp that MS was screwing up by not including USB-C, but after reading this article, my pointy blame finger redirects itself toward the USB consortium for not defining a clear standard. Confusion slows adoption, exactly as we're seeing here.
So based on that, any manufacturer relying solely on USB-C (examples: Spectre x360, XPS 13 2-in-1) is doing so with the risk of being blamed for customers' phone chargers not working? Seems like a relatively small reason to avoid the port altogether.
Agreed. The majority of people have never even heard of USB C. Most people who want USB C want it so they can charge all their devices on a single cable. However, people will be extremely frustrated when the USB C tech they happen to have doesn't provide what they expect. USB C is still very wild-west. I personally prefer having a USB A type port and the Surface Connecter cable and no adapters. Well, except my mini-dp adapter. But a USB C would not solve my port needs unless there was more than one of them ...and I had adapters because, as ubiquitous as some in this discussion are trying to make it sound, most peripheral devices still us USB A, not USB C.
Not exactly true. The thing is, Microsoft isn't PERMANENTLY keeping away from usb-c. Sure, they need to help promote it, but at the same time, they don't need to over push it either. Right now, it's not cost effective and worth the price for them. They are using usb-c for their Surface Go, so they are still getting it with their consumers, but for their Pro model, they want to keep what is more viable and fitting with everyone. They are choosing what is most needed by the most people for their largest product. But that doesn't mean they are just ignoring it entirely. Leaving it off the biggest product helps them save cost that isn't worth it yet. But they are still pushing usb-c, with their Go line, and other products are also pushing it. At the same time, usb-c still needs some work with governments pushing a standard for all the cords and chargers and devices that use the port (*cough*Nintendo*cough*). It was too much to put both ports in, so they put in the one that is more necessary.
That's false. Most just use adapters to convert to more common HDMI and VGA standards. Mini DisplayPort is barely anywhere to be found on today's TVs and monitors, you'll have to look specifically for a monitor/TV woth it to find such, just like you would a USB Type C port-eqipped one today.
Issue can arise with dual-powering the device i.e. plugging in type-c to charge and Surface Connect; but yeah, I'm in the "rather have it than not" camp, but in the end Microsoft feels this layout, while conservative is the safest and clearest for the average consumer.
Mr. Rubino, wouldn't you agree that these giant tech corporations are the ones that should be pushing new technology though? I'm not exactly sure who or what they're waiting for when they say "when the time is right," as smaller companies adopting type C will have minimal impact.
They need to agree on it though, so there's a standard that's an actual standard. Otherwise, if each company interprets it differently, that's chaos, market confusion, and angry customers. In other words, the solution is for the USB licensing consortium (I don't know, but I assume MS is a member or at least has some pull) needs to issue a clear, well-defined standard. The fact that we're having this discussion is, sadly, possible evidence that USB-C is not the future, because they failed to make it a clear standard with an explicit functoinal definition. Perhaps it will go the way of Mini-USB.
Hmmmm. Had not thought of (or read) about it from that angle. Though maybe a diode or two could help in that regard. Then of course MS could engineer in the proverbial kitchen sink and we could have a 10lb Surface Pro...
I never find USB C to be a very reliable connection unfortunately. I like the idea behind it but my admitedly limited experience with it on my 950 was a long way from positive.
Kinda off topic, but by that statement, all your excuses of the Surface Laptop being more for "average consumer" whereas the Surface Pro is more for "professionals" are further debunked...
Yes it does. He specifically mentioned that people will get confused and attempt to power their Surface using USB-C.
Then in that case, they could just not enable charging over that port. If someone tries to plug a power only device into the USB-C port, display a message saying that the port doesn't support power. Despite my rant, I am glad they include the adaptor.
There research was correct that I would only be using the USB-C for charging. My L950 also uses USB-C.
Opps. "Their..."
But i always charge it with usb A-C cable. Never once i used usbc to c. Maybe for the lumia continuum dock, but i now use the Elite x3 dock which is better. The lack of usb c ports are everywhere. Look at airplanes, buses, public charging stations. To bad they can't squeeze in a type c too. But isn't a deal breaker. The dongle for Surface connector sounds like a ok compromise.
I was thinking of the reverse scenario. I would probably not think of charging the Surface Pro with the type C, but I'd want to connect my cell phone there to charge it (Lumia 950xl, Type-c connector)
Well, the 950 xl has Type C to type A cable in the box. You can charge it using that cable.
I know, but it doesn't charge as fast as a Type-C to Type-C cable. Type-A is limited to a max of 2.4 Amp. But I got the Continuum Dock which have a Type-C to Type-C cable with it to plug the 950xl to the dock.
Actually you talking bout USB connector or USB version? USB connector is Type A, B, C and mini. USB version is 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 Gen1, 3.1 Gen 2 and thunderbolt3(?).
Even the top USB version on a Type-A connector is limited in Amps it can carry. USB 3 is much better than USB 2, but neither can match a Type-C connector on USB 3.1 for amps.
Do people really get confused though? I don't see that issue with other laptops that have both type C and regular power connectors, or the Macbook Pro which just has multiple type C ports. Besides, I'm pretty sure the device won't even allow that to happen.
The problem is as stated, most consumers will just plug their USB C cable to any wall plug with a usb slot to charge and find that it is not charging. They do not realize there are difference between the Surface one and the regular phone one.
I'm still confused though. Then isn't the only solution for customers to learn the difference? If they keep thinking their phone charger will charge any type C device, you can never put type C on any large device, no matter how long you wait.
When I got my 950xl, I went out and bought a ton of type-c cables, adapters, chargers, a card to plug into my desktop, all to be type-c ready because it was supposed to be happening. Know what I use all my type-c stuff for 1.5 years later? Charging my phone. Type-c is great, it offers a lot of potential, but there's are no devices for it. External HDDs do not spin fast enough for it, SSDs do not transfer fast enough. There are a couple monitors that let you connect through it, most of them output 50W which is not enough to charge devices. The stuff is not there, and I feel they used type-c we would be in an Apple situation where we need to carry dongles everywhere. if the year have this adapter to allow type-c, hat would be great for those who really want it. AN update dock that has a couple type-c ports would be great, too. But I am not worried about it.
@nohone, I did the same thing, and years later only use it to charge the phone (950XL and Galaxy S8)
I have an Eve V 2-in-1 on preorder which has USB-C and USB-A ports, and I'm gonna get a flash drive that has both USB-C and USB-A ports. Coupled with my USB-C HDMI hub and my Lumia 950XL, things are finally starting to fall into place. I've been in the same boat as you for the last year or so, it's irritating that phone manufacturers, even Apple, are already adopting the standard but companies like Microsoft insist it's not ready. I'm sorry, but this reminds me all too much of the way Ballmer laughed at the iPhone and then it came back to bite him later. I am a huge Microsoft fan but they need to start leading the pack on this stuff.
Has any of those devices even shipped? A year ago this site was flooded with the Eve collective (a lot of those threads were cleaned and then the Eve web site referenced those articles) telling us that we were foolish for buying non-Eve devices when the Pyramid Flipper was just around the corner. Then it was delayed, and delayed again. But we were supposed to hold off buying anything else because the PF was going to be the best thing ever. Then they reduced the specs, the battery life was cut, and so on, and so on. It was supposed to be so much better than a SP, but was on par with any cheap device. Doing a search on this site, the preorders for the V 2 in 1 went up back in September. That is 9 months ago. And people are complaining that Microsoft announced the new SP, and it will not go on sale for 3 weeks, but 9 months is OK?
I bought a Logitech BRIO 4K. That has a Type-C port and includes a USB 3 cable... but the included cable is actually Type A on the other end (that plugs into your computer). So even the device that includes a USB-C assumes the computer connecting to it will be from a Type A port (still running USB 3.0, of course).
I am in the same boat but originally thought no USB Type-C was an gaffe. In reality, I have far more Type-C cables than uses for them. I have a 950 XL and a Continuum Dock - that's pretty much my big swath of cable usage. I bought an XPS 9560 and a dock - but had to read the fine print to know which dock would actually power/charge the laptop (read more $$) . But funny enough, the dock has a hardwired Type-C cable hanging off of it. I assume it's because they (Dell) didn't want to risk folks buying a questionable Type-C cable and either damaging the dock/laptop or just not powering it. I totally get where MS is worried about the mis-use/mis-understanding of this. And as they can provide a passthru with the dongle, seems like they are approaching this wisely.
When I got hold of my 950XL, I had a hard time to obtain an extra USB C cable and the few shops that had them sold it overpriced. Even now I still have to go around carrying the USB C cable for my phone because no one is using it, I cannot simply use my friends one to charge like other phones.
Mini-display port is a pain because projectors and monitors don't accept it. I have to carry around an adapter with me all the time. Do wish they would settle on a standard across the board for this so public displays (used at conferences, universities, office presentations, etc) could be standardized as well.
The irony is they want to market this as a device for creators. Well, my family is in the video production business, and all of our gear uses Thunderbolt 3. Video capture, playback and storage. Surface is unusable for me. This is why I will continue to buy HP products, such as the newly announced Spectre x2. They are superior in functionality and cost less. At the ridiculous Surface price premium, not getting real functionality is unacceptable. None of the arguments Panos makes are valid in my opinion. And the fact is, Microsoft is an anti USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 company.
Surface pro series is not the right computer for serious video editing.
The Surface Studio is the creator device. This is the PC on the go. On top of that, there's the adapter...
Surface Studio doesn't have TB3 either...
Dell XPS and HP support Thunderbolt 3, I agree this should have been added to Surface Pro 5 instead of Mini Display Port.
USB Type-C is not going to replace miniDisplayPort or ThunderBolt 2 / 3 ports for video out. The reason USB Type-C was launched is for transfering data at faster speeds and allow charging your device. But USB Type-C is inferior than Thunderbolt 3 for video signals, so why should OEMs care about supporting video output on a port that cannot match Thunderbolt 3?
You're confused. USB 3.1 (Gen 2, if you want to be really specific) is the protocol, USB Type-C is the port. Thunderbolt 3 uses the USB Type-C port, though Thunderbolt is still not widely supported. DisplayPort also can use the USB Type-C port, and most devices I've seen support this. USB-C devices that support video aren't using the USB 3.1 protocol, they're using DisplayPort that supports the full throughput of DisplayPort 1.3
Thanks, that's a good point, all smartphones that have USB-C are still using USB 3.1 Gen 1 so there is no such thing as USB 3.1 Gen 2 on a smartphone. So to be clear, Microsoft should have added USB 3.1 Gen 2 on Surface Pro 5 (aka Thunderbolt 3) as HP did with their 2 in 1 and adding not 1 but 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports.
I have use for the mini-display port. I have NO use whatsoever for USB-C. So that really depends on the consumer. Only geeks care for USB-C. The transition is still very very in the beginning and without any assurance it will actually happen.
Well everything in the article answers your query. I am not trying to defend the reasoing mentioned in the article but just using it to assuage your concerns. The minute an average user see's a USB-C port he would know that I can use it for charging the laptop. And then the same analogy sets in. You misplace your main charger, you start using some under powered chargers and face issues of charging. A better way of solving this issue was to display a message on the screen in case someone is using an under powered USB-C charger or may be a message to ensure that he is using the right specifications (wattage) to get proper charging.
Does the converter support thunderbolt 3 tho? Presumably it supports charging, docks and multiple monitors, but what all the geeks will wanna know is if it does eGPU... If the surface connect can do two graphics outputs, some usb 3 ports and a gigabit conector, surely it ain't far off.
I'm not sure, but my gut tells me no. Nonetheless, it should support multiple monitors especially with the Iris Plus graphics in the Core i7 model.
they said it supports 2 4k monitors but dint mention the size
Is that capable fo running Oculus RIft? I wiould love to have a single Surface device capable of doing work (VR programming) when docked and being mobile as well. I don't consider gaming laptops to be truly "mobile"
Putting TB3 to please enthusiast is not a bad idea. What happens after enthusiasts found out that using Surface Pro with eGPU resulting in 2 hours of battery life in AAA games?
They complained.
For my analogy, Surface Pro is not made for gaming.
The TB3 eGPU dock would be charging the Surface Pro at the same time, so it wouldn't matter.
As mentioned, most setup that included the USB C did not utilized the full potential of it. If would like to fully utilize it, will require another type of design of the board which subsequently bump up the cost. Not a good choice currently for the mass to pay the extra just for charging with USB C.
There you have it folks, bet you are still going to get the moans saying this is a deal breaker...
You are right. There will be moans. I get that, people populating tech web sites like us want products that meet their specific, even niche, needs. And if you are commenting on Windows Central, complaining is what you do. OK. Microsoft is making products for the masses not tech website readers and they do lots of research. I was called by Micorosoft a couple of months ago on a survey of my tech useage. I couldn't discern a specific subject they were asking about so it might not have been about the Surface Pro, but there were questions about how I use my Surface Pro 4, where I take it and so forth. This call was probably about something else entirely, but I've been called or contacted by email before by them. As for the new Surface Pro, I'll be buying, probably the new fanless I5 model, given how I use my I7 SP4. The new pen and kickstand, and fanless, make this a whole new product as far as I'm concerned.
Great explanation.
But what about all the other devices that DO have a native USB-C port? Like the Macbook? I do not hear people complaining about that, or even be "confused". Microsoft wants to release it's devices with USB-C "when the masses are ready for it", but all the other OEMs already released it to the masses for a while now.
Have you really experienced when your phone's type-c charger is too underpowered to charge your laptop? Can be frustrating when that's all you have with you. This is a legit point.
That's why you bring your laptop charger and leave the phone's charger at home.
Initially, this probably is confusing for consumers. "Both chargers are USB-C. Why is one so damn slow?" It's not hard to figure out, but I guess this is what Microsoft wants to avoid.
Is it confusing? On phone chargers you already have to look "Does that one work with QuickCharge version X? Or with Samsungs own fast charge...or something completley different" and some may wonder why that phone chargers charges faster on my Samsung phone than the other. Still not that big of a deal...you see it, you learn it one time and carry on with the fastest charger you have. The USB Standard watches over to only draw as much energy as it needs.
Yeah, QC 2, QC 3 and even Dash Charge are all Type-C; kinda confusing already especially if you have a non-QC Type-C charger.
Great write up Daniel!!
Besides lets just remember a note that seems to be present in pretty much every micro-USB charger around: "You're supposed to use the charger privided or the <brand name>'s charger. Any different charger may not have the same power requirements and could (not necessarily will) void your warranty (this warranty part if a suggestion from me)". And done. Problem solved. We would all charger the SP with chargers provided by Microsoft (either USB-C or the connector) or chargers with specific requisites. That would be the classic response from Apple to anyone trying to charge their new Macbook with an underpowered/inadequate charger...

What do people use USB Type-C for?

Microsoft is not against USB Type-C

Help is on the way thanks to Surface Connect Type-C adapter

The takeaway

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