How Is Microsoft's Magnetic Connect Different From Apple's MagSafe For MacBooks?

Microsoft has introduced a new 'Magnetic Connect' charging port for its Surface Laptop Ultra, which differs from Apple's MagSafe by utilizing a standard USB-C port for both charging and peripheral connectivity. The design aims to maximize port utility on thin laptops.
Why it matters
It represents a shift in hardware design philosophy, prioritizing multi-functional ports over proprietary charging solutions.
Microsoft is pretty excited about its new charger.
Microsoft Add Engadget on Google: Preferred Source Google Discover While Microsoft's October press event was heavily AI-oriented — to the shock of no one — the company did have major announcements regarding the Surface Laptop Ultra . It's powered by NVIDIA's RTX Spark platform, and sports up to 128GB of shared system and graphics RAM. In a demonstration, Microsoft showed it running apps like DaVinci Resolve and Gears of War: E-Day simultaneously without missing a heartbeat.
One smaller point that captured our attention was a new power port dubbed Magnetic Connect. Charging tech isn't normally a big deal, yet Microsoft devoted a portion of the show to it. That's remarkable when the company could've easily spent a few more minutes elaborating on Spark or Windows 11's AI upgrades.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
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