Skip to main content

Microsoft has found the source of recent Surface Pro 3 battery woes

surface pro 3 firmware update performance microsoft hands on 4 2 1500x1000
There’s some good news for Surface Pro 3 owners who have been plagued by battery issues. Microsoft has apparently figured out what’s causing the hybrids to run through their charge so quickly, and is currently working on a fix.

It seems that the problem is confined to Surface Pro 3 units that are fitted with a Simplo battery. However, Microsoft hopes to be able to make the fix on the software side, without having to arrange a product recall or trade-in program.

Related Videos

Word of the battery complaint first started to spread in mid July, with some owners reporting that their tablet could only muster up one or two hours of use from a single charge, whereas others saw their device’s battery life cut down to a matter of minutes.

After a few weeks investigating the issue, it seems that Microsoft has found the source. There’s currently no timeframe on when users can expect to see this fix delivered, according to a report from ZDNet.

“Based on our investigations we can confirm that it is not an issue with the battery cells, and we believe this is something that can be addressed via software,” read a statement posted by a company representative on the Microsoft Community forum. “We’re working through the details of how we deliver that.”

A software fix would obviously be the ideal solution from Microsoft’s perspective, given the alternative. If the issue was found to be related to hardware, the company would likely have been forced to replace each affected Surface Pro unit, rather than just the battery — which would have been very expensive indeed.

Microsoft hasn’t indicated how it plans to distribute the patch, so affected users should keep an eye on Windows Update as well as the company’s support channels.

Editors' Recommendations

Finally, you’ll soon be able to use 3D avatars on Teams calls
Laptop sitting on a desk showing Windows 11's built-in Microsoft Teams experience

Microsoft is planning to roll out a new feature for Teams and Zoom that will allow you to substitute your live camera feed for a 3D avatar when on a video call.

The new feature is set to launch in May, according to Microsoft's product road map. The 3D avatars will be available in many "customizable body types, skin tones, hair colors and hairstyles, clothes, and facial features, as per prior announcements from Mesh for Teams," according to Ars Technica.

Read more
One of last year’s most luxurious smartwatches finally has Wear OS 3
Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Classic watch face.

Tag Heuer has announced that its luxurious Calibre E4 smartwatch range is all set to receive an update to Google's Wear OS 3 software, and that it will bring with it significant changes.

Google announced Wear OS 3 in May 2021, while Tag Heuer released the 42mm Connected Calibre E4 and 45mm Connected Calibre E4 in 2022, so the update has been a long time coming.

Read more
First Google Pixel 8 Pro renders reveal some surprising changes
Leaked render of the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

Once again, and in an unsurprising turn of events, Google has missed the leak train. Leakers @OnLeaks and SmartPrix have leaked rumored renders of the upcoming Pixel 8 Pro. Going by the Pixel 7's launch date, the next Pixel flagship has leaked a good six months ahead of its official introduction.
Google's terrible track record aside, let's discuss the leaked renders. It looks like the company's design team is favoring rounded edges again. The Pixel 7 duo was an improvement over the boxy looks of its predecessor, and the Pixel 8 Pro only appears to add more of that rounded corner profiling. It actually looks good, albeit a bit wider.

The overall design remains more or less the same. Google is sticking to the dual-tone approach with glass on both sides, and a metal frame that also extends over at the back to form the horizontal camera strip. Another change compared to the Pixel 7 Pro’s dual cut-out design is that the Pixel 8 Pro only has single elongated pill-shaped outline housing all three camera sensors.
This triple-lens setup likely includes a primary high-resolution snapper, an ultra-wide angle camera, and a periscope-style telephoto zoom shooter. There’s another round cutout right below the LED flash, but it’s unclear if it’s a macro or depth camera, or some kind of IR or a specialized photosensitive sensor. 

Read more