#Batterygate Continues – Surface Pro 3 LGC Batteries Now at Fault

Microsoft just recently delivered a firmware update to fix certain Surface Pro 3 tablets that had been experiencing battery storage problems for months. Customers complained to no avail it seemed until the press corps took up the mantle of reporting the ongoing problems.

The Surface Pro 3 devices derive power from two different types of batteries, one from SIMPLO or one from LGC. Which one depends on the manufacturing lot number. You can figure out which battery your Surface Pro 3 contains, by following this guidance: How to Determine the Battery Manufacturer Installed in Your Surface Pro 3.

According to a more recent thread in the Microsoft forums, a new, different problem has surfaced (no pun intended). The thread, Surface Pro 3 with LGC Battery Degradation Issue, details customer issues for those with the other type of battery. According to the lengthening thread, this new problem started after the installation of Microsoft’s latest big update to Windows 10, the Anniversary Update. After installing Windows 10 Anniversary, the Surface Pro 3 LGC battery degrades in the amount of charge it stores and even though the status may show a significant charge, the tablet will just shut down shortly after removing it from the power supply. But, Windows 10 Anniversary may not be the cause, just a new piece in the puzzle, because one individual says the problems has existed since January of this year.

Also, according to the thread, Microsoft is aware of the issue and notes that this is different from the problem originally reported for the SIMPLO battery. There’s currently no communication whether or not the company is working on a fix.

This current problem just adds to Microsoft’s hardware woes. It took the company around a year to get its very first Surface Book to work correctly for customers, and then there’s recent rumors suggesting the company will step away from manufacturing fitness wearables due to the Microsoft Band’s poor quality record.