Types and Compatibility of Surface Type Covers and Keyboard Covers

Types of Surface Type Covers and Keyboard Covers

Surface keyboard covers can be broadly categorized into five types:

1. Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard: Compatible with the 12-inch Surface Pro released in 2025
2. Surface Keyboard: The current cover-style keyboard used with Surface Pro 8 and later
3. Surface Type Cover: The cover-style keyboard compatible with Surface Pro 3 through 7+
4. Surface Go Type Cover: A cover-style keyboard compatible with all Surface Go models
5. Legacy Surface Covers: Cover-style keyboards compatible with Surface Pro 2 and earlier

Surface Pro 12-inch Keyboard

This keyboard cover is designed for the 12-inch Surface Pro released in 2025. Unlike the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard that comes with the simultaneously released 13-inch Surface Pro, this model omits the pen storage and charging area.

Surface Keyboard

Introduced with the redesigned Surface Pro 8, the Surface Keyboard replaced the previous "Type Cover" naming. Although it appears similar to older Type Covers, the port and connector design has been updated, making it incompatible with earlier models.

There are several types of Surface Keyboards, including:

1. Surface Pro Flex Keyboard
2. Surface Pro Keyboard
3. Surface Pro X Type Cover
4. Surface Pro Keyboard with Pen Storage

The differences among them include:

1. Whether Bluetooth is supported
2. Whether they feature built-in pen storage
3. The type of touchpad used (mechanical vs. haptic)

Note: While the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is described as having a “mechanical key” structure, this does not mean it uses mechanical switches like those in traditional mechanical keyboards. Instead, "mechanical" here simply refers to the contrast with the "haptic" touchpad technology.

Surface Type Cover

The Surface Type Cover was used up to the Surface Pro 7+. There are several generations of the Surface Type Cover—such as the ones for Surface Pro 3 and those for Surface Pro 4 and later—which differ in design, key pitch, and overall build.

Surface Go Type Cover

While the Surface Go has been released in four generations so far, all of them use the same Surface Go Type Cover. This cover follows the design used in earlier Surface Pro models up to the 7+.

Although the screen size has increased across generations, the device body size remains the same, which allows older Type Covers to be used with the latest Surface Go models.

Legacy Surface Covers

The Legacy Surface Covers are designed for models up to the Surface Pro 2. Although these covers use the same port design as earlier models, they are not compatible with newer devices. Even if connected, the keyboard will not function.

Notably, this generation also featured experimental models such as the Touch Cover and Power Cover, in addition to the standard Type Cover.

Compatibility Between Surface Models and Type/Keyboard Covers

The following table summarizes the compatibility between Surface models and various keyboard cover types:

Terminology

1. Haptic Touchpad: A touchpad that uses vibration feedback to simulate clicking, instead of traditional mechanical switches.