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Update:
we heard your feedback on sp3 battery. Confirmed we can address with a software update and we're testing a fix now.
Surface Pro 3 battery degradation - Microsoft CommunityTweet
— Twitter API (@user) View on Twitter
Over the past couple of weeks, a number of Surface Pro 3 users have taken to Twitter to complain vociferously about battery-drain issues they've been experiencing.
Surface Pro 3s with Simplo batteries seemed to be the only models affected, based on user reports that date to a month or so ago. Some users said their battery drain was so bad that their Surface Pro 3 tablets could last only a minute or two on battery power.
While some users had hoped a recent set of firmware updates for Surface Pro 3 -- the first for those devices in three months -- might fix the battery-drain issue, Microsoft officials said that wasn't the case. That set of firmware updates was meant to increase battery life during sleep mode and improve keyboard stability only, a spokesperson told me.
I asked Microsoft officials about the reported battery-life issue several times over the past week-plus. I was told by a couple of different spokespeople that "Microsoft is investigating reports of a separate question regarding Surface Pro 3 batteries in which the system is reporting lower battery capacity than expected."
On July 26, Microsoft provided an updated statement on the situation via the company's support forums.
Microsoft is not saying when or how the company expects to push out the fix...We are aware of some customers reporting a scenario with their Surface Pro 3 batteries in which the system is reporting lower battery capacity than expected. We've isolated this to a limited number of customers experiencing this issue. 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. We're working through the details of how we deliver that.
Read more: Microsoft says software fix coming for Surface Pro 3 models with battery issues | ZDNet
Update:
we heard your feedback on sp3 battery. Confirmed we can address with a software update and we're testing a fix now.
Surface Pro 3 battery degradation - Microsoft CommunityTweet
— Twitter API (@user) View on Twitter
UPDATE: Microsoft has now published a changelog for the update, confirming that this was the only fix.
Surface Pro 3 Battery FAQ for the 8/29/2016 System Firmware Update
Windows Update History Name Device Manager Name System Firmware Update – 8/29/2016 Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware
- v38.10.90.0 corrects an error that may occur on a limited number of Surface Pro 3 devices where the full charge capacity of the battery is misreported to the operating system and device firmware. This update corrects the firmware component that functions as a "fuel gauge" so that the battery capacity is accurately reported. See Surface Pro 3 Battery FAQ for the 8/29/2016 System Firmware Update for more information.