Batteries in Certain Surface Pro 3 Models are Degrading Quickly with No Response from Microsoft

This is more of a placeholder article than anything else as I start digging deeper into researching this issue. My hopes for the placeholder is to give those who are experiencing this issue the opportunity to come forward and be vocal here on these pages in the comments or over Twitter (@rodtrent).

According to reports that seem to be growing in number, there was a certain Surface Pro 3 model that was sold with Simplo batteries that is now, after just a year, severely degrading and failing to hold the same level of charge. Over time, users can use the powercfg /batteryreport command at an elevated command prompt and watch the capacity of the battery dwindle.

All things fail eventually. But, the more concerning issue in all of this is that Microsoft has been extremely silent over the issues, despite growing reports and a swelling of public outcry. You can read more about these reports in a Microsoft forum thread entitled: Surface Pro 3 battery degradation.

Some are suggesting that a firmware update could fix this issue and maybe it’s not hardware related at all. Surface Pro 3 firmware updates, though, are starting to become rare, with Microsoft shifting its focus to the problems that have plagued the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book for months and months and rumors of an October launch for new hardware products.

Some suggest that Microsoft’s silence on the matter is that it doesn’t want to live up to promises in a Surface Pro 3 AMA from 2 years ago because replacing the battery essentially means swapping the device. In the AMA, Panos (and team) said…

We’ve built a great battery into the product (The batteries on our Surface products are designed with some of the highest charge cycles for consumer electronic devices. This means that the battery can get charged daily (5 days a week) for over 4.5 years and still maintain 80% capacity.).

IF the battery fails during the warranty period, we’ll replace the battery.

IF the battery fails after the warranty period, you’ll call Microsoft support and arrange for the battery to be replaced. The cost will be $200 USD.

Whatever the case, the reports are growing and those owners with failing batteries are getting restless.

Are you one of these restless, concerned Surface Pro 3 owners? Have you noticed a degradation in your Surface Pro 3 battery capacity?