Surface Pro 3 tablets are getting some new updates right now

Aug 13, 2014 09:28 GMT  ·  By

Since it’s Update Tuesday, Microsoft is shipping security updates to computers running its software as we speak, but this day isn’t entirely only about fixing bugs and security issues.

Surface tablets are also receiving firmware updates that improve the overall performance of the devices and add some new options, so, if you’ve already purchased one of the models on the market, make sure that you launch Windows Update as soon as possible.

The newly launched Surface Pro 3 has also received a firmware update today, that adds a number of new improvements for the Power Cover, the built-in camera, and the Ethernet adapter.

Here are all improvements included in today’s firmware update, as mentioned by Microsoft:

Surface Pro Embedded Controller Firmware (v38.4.50.0) improved support for Surface Power Cover. Surface Pro System Aggregator Firmware (v3.9.250.0) improved support for Surface Power Cover and enhances overall system stability. Microsoft LifeCam Front (v5.20.1034.0) significantly improves power consumption during video chat such as Skype, supports Flash camera streaming in Internet Explorer, and improves overall functionality and stability. Surface Ethernet Adapter (v8.14.0704.2014) improved support for the gigabit Surface Ethernet Adapter.

As you can see, there’s no fix aimed at the limited Wi-Fi connectivity bug that’s affecting a number of Surface Pro 3 tablets, even though the company itself has confirmed that it’s working on addressing this problem.

At the same time, plenty of buyers have already confirmed for us that a number of Surface Pro 3 tablets are suffering from what appears to be an overheating problem, which is most likely caused by the system configuration and not by hardware itself.

Reports coming via Microsoft’s Community forums have revealed that the Surface Pro 3 is getting very hot even when running simple apps such as Google Chrome, so everyone is expecting a fix on the upcoming Update Tuesdays.

“I installed Halo Spartan Assault and also started to feel SP3 overheat. The fan does kick in but it's no reason for the overheating that you can't even hold the tablet in your own hands. I also started to notice that that fan starts to kick in when it’s idle for several minutes. I have all the latest updates from Microsoft,” one user reported on the forums.

As is the case with all the other updates launched today, the new firmware is being shipped via Windows Update, so just make sure that the Surface Pro 3 battery is fully charged and you’re good to go.