Dock connector
any single connector for connecting a laptop or mobile device to multiple peripherals
A dock connector is an electrical connector used to attach a mobile device simultaneously to multiple external resources. Dock connectors typically carry a variety of signals and power, through a single connector, to simplify the process of docking the device. A dock connector may be embedded in a mechanical fixture used to support or align the mobile device or may be at the end of a cable.
While dock connectors were originally associated with laptops, many other mobile devices now use them.
Laptops
Classic docking connectors for laptop computers are usually embedded into a mechanical docking station and port replicator devices that supports and aligns the laptop and sports various single-function ports and a power source that are aggregated into the docking connector. Docking connectors carried interfaces such as keyboard, serial, parallel, and video ports from the laptop and supply power to it.
As of 2020, docking connection options usually can be defined as a USB-C port with optional additional functionality.
Mobile devices
Many mobile devices feature a dock connector.
Dock connectors can be used to interface with accessories such as external speakers, including stereo systems and clock radios. Automotive accessories for mobile devices include charging cradles, FM transmitters for playing audio through the car's speakers, and GPS receivers.
The public source identifies “Dock connector” as any single connector for connecting a laptop or mobile device to multiple peripherals. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Dock, connector and single.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q111420612. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2020.
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This entry incorporates text from “Dock connector” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.