Thunderbolt Technology Explanation: Understanding the Thunderbolt USB Port and Its Application in Mi

　　Thunderbolt technology is one of several data transfer technologies that came out in the late 2000s and became particularly popular with Apple devices. It is capable of providing ultra-high-speed data transfers that far exceed the then-current USB 3.0 (4.8Gbps), with speeds now exceeding 20Gbps. However, with the release of Thunderbolt 3 in 2016, the technology is no longer limited to Apple devices, but is being adopted by a growing number of laptops, computers, and tablets. This article will take a deep dive into the capabilities of the Thunderbolt USB port and whether Microsoft Surface devices support this technology.

　　Thunderbolt Technology Overview

　　Thunderbolt technology was originally developed by Intel and has been widely used in Apple devices. With the advent of Thunderbolt 3, Intel made two important decisions: eliminating licensing fees to encourage adoption, and abandoning the traditional DisplayPort connection in favor of the more universal USB-C connection. This shift has made Thunderbolt 3 a powerful hybrid that is being adopted by many of the latest laptops and PCs. However, if you have a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 USB port, you need an adapter to create a Thunderbolt 3 port.

　　The Power of Thunderbolt 3

　　The USB-C Thunderbolt 3 feature brings many conveniences to users. For example, you can output video on one 5K monitor or two 4K monitors at 60Hz. In addition, Thunderbolt 3 also supports up to 100W of power output, which is enough to charge most laptops and compatible smartphones. More exciting is that through the Thunderbolt 3 connection, you can also connect to an external GPU (if the manufacturer allows it). These features undoubtedly make Thunderbolt 3 a highly respected data transmission technology.

　　The relationship between Microsoft Surface and Thunderbolt technology

　　However, the adoption of Thunderbolt technology in Microsoft Surface devices is inconsistent. For example, the Surface Book 2 and Surface Go released in 2017 are equipped with USB-C ports, but do not explicitly support Thunderbolt technology. The Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 released in 2018 didn't even have a USB-C port, let alone Thunderbolt support. This move didn't go over well with consumers, as most high-end PCs and tablets already support Thunderbolt technology.

　　Nevertheless, we still expect Microsoft to adopt the latest and fastest technology in subsequent devices. Especially considering that devices such as the Surface Pro 6 and 7 can greatly improve the performance of the device if they can support dedicated external GPUs. Unfortunately, however, there are currently no Surface devices that support Thunderbolt 3. The latest version of the Surface Pro 7 still only supports USB 3.1 (speeds up to 10Gbps).

　　Why are Surface devices not equipped with Thunderbolt technology?

　　Integrating Thunderbolt technology into a device requires a lot of work, not just as simple as buying the relevant parts. To install USB-C Thunderbolt functionality on a Surface, the manufacturer must re-adjust various components inside the device. This would result in a higher price for consumers, so Microsoft decided not to implement this technology in Surface devices.

　　Conclusion and Outlook

　　Although Thunderbolt 3 technology has not yet been widely used in Surface devices, we believe that as more and more people adopt this technology, its implementation cost will gradually decrease. Therefore, we look forward to seeing Surface devices supporting Thunderbolt 3 (or any upcoming version) in the future. After all, the charm of technology lies in continuous development and progress, and Thunderbolt technology will undoubtedly become an important force in the field of future data transmission.