New Microsoft Patent Hints at Surface Pro 7

Microsoft is currently working on a new design for its Surface Pro lineup of laptops, and it is expected to debut in the latter half of 2019. While the design for the Surface Pro 7 hasn’t largely changed since the Surface Pro 4, Microsoft is expected to further trim down the bezels of the display as well as add a USB-C port, and also make the next Surface Pro design a little more rounded, which will be similar to the Surface Go. A new patent has been filed by Microsoft that hints at a possibility of a thinner keyboard for the Surface Pro 7, and now one has appeared that shows a Surface Pro with a USB-C port and a new Type Cover model.

The new patent details were first spotted by Windows United and it details how Microsoft plans to use magnets to prevent the Surface Type Cover from flapping around when it is not in use. In the current mechanism of the keyboard, it has to be folded under the device in order to use the Surface Pro as a tablet, and it is held in place simply by how you grip the device. The US tech giant is currently proposing to hold the Type Cover in place under the device with the help of magnets, which will be similar to how the company uses magnets to keep the keyboard held up against the display. Presumably, this mechanism would also be bale to work when the Surface Pro is closed the other way so it would not be able to readily open inside a bag.

Although the patent might be all about magnets, it has some far more interesting details that include what the future might hold for the Surface Pro laptops. Microsoft appears to be altering the port selection on its Surface Pro, and there will be a new USB-C port on the side, alongside the regular USB-A and Mini Display Port. The company will also move the headphone jack down to the bottom, and adjust the tab you use to access the kick stand.

The most interesting part regarding these patent images is that there is no Surface Connect port on this particular device. That could suggest that Microsoft is preparing to break from its magnetic charger to push towards USB-C charging for its Surface lineup of laptops. This company has been notoriously cautious about adopting the USB-C connectivity.

If Microsoft is truly ditching the Surface Connect, then it will create a new possibility for the company towards adopting USB-C as well as the ThunderBolt 3 technology. Microsoft might not fully ditch the idea of magnetic attaching charges like Apple did for its USB-C charging. A previous patent filed by the company hinted at a USB-C Surface charger with magnets.