Microsoft’s upcoming ‘Surface Dock 3’ drops proprietary connector, adds Thunderbolt 4 support

Here’s a first look at the next Surface Dock.

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What you need to know

Update 4/4 at 12PM ET:Microsoft hasofficially announced its new Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock, which is now available.

Microsoft is gearing up to ship a new Surface Dock soon that features a slimmer design andThunderbolt 4, while also replacing the proprietary Surface Connect cable with a universal USB-C one. My sources say the device is codenamed Bergamo, and is expected to start shipping in the next few weeks.

Microsoft has released a number of Surface Docks in the last decade, beginning with the Surface Pro docking station in 2013. It redesigned the Surface Dock in 2015 to make it compatible with all Surface PCs with a Surface Connect port, then released theSurface Dock 2a few years later that added support for USB-C with the same design.

The upcoming Surface Dock features a new design slimmer than the Surface Dock 2. It has a USB-A and USB-C port to the front and maintains the same I/O selection as the Surface Dock 2 on the back, which includes two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, an ethernet port, and a DC connector.

I’m told this model will be the first Surface Dock to feature Thunderbolt 4 capable USB-C ports, providing faster data transfer speeds. Images of the device were spotted in arecent eBay listing, and I can confirm the device in the photos is the real deal.

Since the new Surface Dock uses USB-C instead of Microsoft’s proprietary connector, the device will likely work on non-Surface PCs too. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t, plus other Surface accessories, such as the Surface Precision Mouse and Surface Keyboard, already work fine with non-Surface PCs.

Will this new dock make ourbest Thunderbolt 4 hubs and docking stationslist? We’ll have to wait to find out.

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Surface Thunderbolt 4 Dock | $300 at Microsoft

This new dock from Microsoft has a plethora of ports, delivers up to 96W of power to PCs, and brings Thunderbolt 4 connectivity to the Surface Dock lineup.

Zac Bowden is a Senior Editor at Windows Central. Bringing you exclusive coverage into the world of Windows on PCs, tablets, phones, and more. Also an avid collector of rare Microsoft prototype devices! Keep in touch onTwitterandThreads