Just a day after its release, the Surface Pro X has been given its first firmware update. The update aims to improve battery life and system stability.
The Surface Pro X launched as a step in a new direction for the Surface Pro line – however, initial reactions have been mixed and its partly down to middling battery life.
Related: Read our hands-on Surface Pro X review
According to Thurrott, the update’s focus on battery life and system stability appear to be there to address some early concerns from Surface Pro X users.
The update includes these key changes:
- Surface UEFI: 3.444.140.0 improves system stability.
- Surface System Aggregator:14.57.139.0 improves battery performance.
- Surface Pro X Integration: 20.63.139.0 improves stability when in hibernation.
- Microsoft SQ1 Adreno 685 GPU: 26.18.800.0 improves system stability.
- Surface Pro X Power Engine Plug-in Device:1.0.0800.0 improves system stability.
The battery life has long been an attractive aspect of ARM-based computers like the Surface Pro X. Some previous ARM laptops have touted close to 20-hours of battery life.
Microsoft was much more conservative with its stated battery life for the Surface Pro X – at just 13.5 hours.
Related: Best laptops
The update also reveals a notable specification. The Surface Pro X uses a custom Microsoft SQ1 chip which is based on the Snapdragon 8cx. However, the regular Snapdragon 8cx uses an Adreno 680 GPU while this update highlights the SQ1 uses an Adreno 685 GPU.
We here at Trusted Reviews got to go hands-on with the Surface Pro X last month. Our first impressions said:
“The Surface Pro X looks and feels like the next generation of Microsoft’s 2-in-1, with the ultra-slim form hoping to be really beneficial for students and office workers always on the move.
The biggest question for this device is whether the performance will stack up. The Surface Pro X felt snappy and fluid, but more in-depth testing is required to discover its full performance potential.”
Keep an eye out for our full Surface Pro X review which will arrive in the coming weeks.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.