Users have been complaining that two devices from Microsoft, the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book, are experiencing quicker-than-normal battery drainage.
This happens when the tablet and notepad enter an incomplete low battery mode, resulting in the battery running out really fast. Microsoft took note of the issue and promised that it will provide a fix "soon in the new year."
According to reports, the root of the issue is the "new silicon" used in the Intel Skylake chipsets.
In a support forum, the Redmond-based tech firm explained that when a Surface device enters standby, the central processing unit can remain active, leading to increased battery consumption and extra heating. Those familiar with the silicon chipset technology affirm that the problem is visible in Skylake-based gizmos that are manufactured by other companies as well.
One member of Microsoft's support team addressed the issue in a forum. The good news is that Microsoft is working on solving it, but the less-than-stellar update is that it will take until early 2016 for users to get the fix.
"Yes, the 'standby' battery life is an issue we are working on and have been working on," Microsoft said.
The tech company pointed out that power management takes a lot of time and skill to implement, and the new silicon used in the manufacturing process did not accelerate the process.
There are workarounds to the problem, however. The first thing that owners of Surface devices can do is shut down the websites that actively stream content when they power off the tablets or notebooks. This practically stops Microsoft Edge from keeping active websites running in the background. Take note that the power-draining problem with background sites exists in Microsoft smartphones Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL as well.
Another way to bypass the problem is to go into the Surface Pro or Surface Book's settings and uncheck the "Sleep" power-saving option, allowing only the "Hibernate" mode.
"We will have an update for this issue sometime soon in the new year," Microsoft underlined.
It seems unfortunate that users need to use a temporary solution until an official patch resolves the matter, but it is better than nothing.
