PSA: Power adaptor not included in Microsoft Surface Pro 11 shipments in Europe

A piece of news for Microsoft fans in Europe. If you are planning to purchase the Surface Pro 11 tablet, keep in mind that the shipment package won’t include any power supply by default. Of course, you can explicitly include the standard charger while placing the order, but in that case you also have to shell out extra for the adapter.

The following screenshot, taken from the Microsoft website, clearly shows the adaptor as an additional component that you can add to your shipment for extra charge.

So, when did Microsoft make this change? As per a Windows Central report, the change came into effect sometime last month, and as you can see in the screenshot above, the reason behind this change is to support EU initiatives that aim to reduce e-waste.

Basically, as per Europe’s 2022 Radio Equipment Directive, companies should not make power supply a default inclusion in shipments of phones and tablets. This reduces carbon emissions and e-waste, plus many users already have similar chargers at home. For example, you can use the USB-C charger of your Surface Laptop 7 to charge your Surface Pro 11 as well.

Microsoft seems to be aligning itself with this directive, though there’s currently no clarity on whether a charger cable is included by default or not. Although the directive doesn’t say that companies can charge extra for the adaptors, it’s apparently not stopping Microsoft from setting you back £80 extra. Thankfully, due to an ongoing 50% discount, the adaptor is currently available for £40.

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on this change, and how you think this affects you.