14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Surface Pro 7 will support USB-C charging, a feature that Microsoft somehow missed during the official unveiling of the device at the October 2 event.
Reddit user lazyway conducted a quick experiment in a Microsoft Store, charging a Surface Pro 7 with a third-party charger.
“Well... It works!” the redditor says, adding that voltage and wattage specs aren’t available right now given the Microsoft Store didn’t let them use a power meter for more measurements.
“However, the reps told me the unit comes with a new 60w+ charger so I'm guessing it used the 20v rail,” lazyway adds.
So why hasn’t Microsoft publicly announced USB-C charging support for the Surface Pro 7 given this is one of the most anticipated features on the device?
USB-C charging on other Surface models
There’s no official reason for this, the redditor explains citing Microsoft Store staff, but there are good chances that the company deliberately omitted this announcement because of the differences that users could experience in charging speeds due to the adapters being used.
Basically, unless fast-speed USB-C chargers are being used, there’s a good chance the charging speed doesn’t match the one offered through the Surface connector, so while the feature is indeed there, Microsoft probably doesn’t want too many people to stick with it.
Surface Pro 7 isn’t the only Surface model that supports charging via USB-C, as both the Surface Book 2 and Surface Go come with similar capabilities. However, not too many buyers are aware of USB-C charging on their devices, pretty much because Microsoft doesn’t often talk about this feature for its Surface lineup.
“They suspect it's to promote OEM charger sales. They also noted that when the Surface Book 2 came out, USB-C charging wasn't advertised or mentioned in private briefings either,” the redditor explains.
We have reached out to Microsoft asking for more details on the Surface Pro 7 USB-C charging support and circle back if we get an answer.