Microsoft's Surface Laptop Prototype Featured 2 USB-C Ports

Microsoft has unveiled the Surface Laptop running the new Windows 10 S operating system, but the device lacks USB Type-C ports. Interestingly, one of the prototypes of the device was revealed to have featured USB-C ports.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop, codenamed Lynx, went through the prototyping process. Microsoft even showed a short marketing video highlighting the craftsmanship behind the device’s creation. One prototype seen in the video appears to actually have two USB-C ports on the right-hand side of the keyboard where the Surface connector is now located on the final version of the product. The short glimpse at the prototype was first spotted by The Verge.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop debuted yesterday during the company’s education-focused event in New York City. The new Windows 10 S machine comes with limited number of ports, namely: a regular USB port, a mini DisplayPort and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The absence of a USB-C port is its biggest disappointment.

The Verge spoke with the designers of the Surface Laptop during Microsoft’s New York event yesterday and asked why USB-C was left out from the device. Apparently, Microsoft believed that the technology has a “lack of maturity” and that it also has “a broad lack of market adoption.”

It seems as though Microsoft felt that that students and educators — the company’s primary target market — would likely use the mini DisplayPort and the regular USB port more than USB-C. It’s true that USB-C isn’t as ubiquitous as the regular USB port, but the technology is seen as the future of new hardware. The lack of USB-C might not help in making the Surface Laptop “future proof.”

USB-C technology is already being adapted by major hardware manufacturers like Google, Samsung and Apple. Samsung’s Galaxy S8, Apple’s MacBooks and Google’s Pixel phones all carry the same hardware technology, while other phone makers are already expected to embrace USB-C as the standard. Many tech peripherals like charging cables, docks, headphones and other accessories are also slowly but surely migrating to USB-C.

The USB Type-C connector is universal. It’s capable of charging devices, transferring data and can even be used as a display output. With a proper dongle, users could plug in most anything they want to that port. It's the only port users will need right now, as explained by BGR. Microsoft could have included at least one USB-C port.

The Surface Laptop features a 13.5-inch PixelSense display with a screen resolution of 2,256 x 1,504. Like the Surface Book, Microsoft’s new laptop features a 3:2 aspect ratio, making it ideal for viewing documents. The Surface Laptop’s display also supports the Surface Pen.

The base model of the Surface Laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, Intel HD Graphics 620, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. Users can configure the device to come with a Core i7 chip with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop is now available to pre-order in the U.S. for $999.99. The Core i7/16GB RAM/512GB model costs $2,199. The Surface Laptop will start shipping to buyers on June 15.