14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has recently shipped new firmware updates for two of its Surface models, mostly to improve performance stability on these devices.
Specifically, Microsoft Surface Book is getting two updates as part of this new firmware. The Surface Embedded Controller Firmware is bumped to version 90.2098.256.0 and gets improved stability, while the Surface Integration component is updated to version 1.1.339.1 for better battery stability.
On the other hand, the Surface Pro and the Surface Pro LTE are being updated with new versions of the Surface System Aggregator Firmware to improve system stability.
The previous firmware updates for these Surface models were launched in January when Microsoft included more substantial changes, such as patches for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities that were discovered in early 2018.
New Spectre fixes?
Surprisingly, Microsoft doesn’t say anything about new security improvements coming in this month’s firmware update, even though many expected them.
Intel rolled out new Spectre Variant 2 security updates for Skylake processors earlier this month, and said partners, including Microsoft, would include them in their own firmware updates. Surface Book, for example, runs on the Skylake chipset, so it was expected to receive the refined patches as well.
Despite this, Surface owners are obviously recommended to download and install the new firmware updates as soon as possible, though they should also make sure the battery is full or the device is plugged in. Interrupting firmware updates isn’t the best idea and could eventually brick the device.
In the meantime, Intel is expected to roll out new Spectre fixes for all chips in the coming days and weeks, so more firmware updates could land soon.
“We expect to do the same for more platforms in the coming days. We also continue to release beta microcode updates so that customers and partners have the opportunity to conduct extensive testing before we move them into production,” the firm said last week.