Battery Limit is rolling out as part of a UEFI firmware update for the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4. It is welcome addition and somewhat unexpected. Let’s not forget the Pro 3 is three years old and the Pro 4 is two years old. Microsoft says the Battery Limit feature caps the amount of charging a lithium-ion pack will charge. Specifically, the feature stops the battery charging when it has reached 50 percent of its maximum capacity. “Battery Limit option is a UEFI setting that changes how the Surface device battery is charged and may prolong its longevity,” Microsoft notes in a page about Battery Limit. “This setting is recommended in cases in which the device is continuously connected to power, for example when devices are integrated into kiosk solutions.”
Availability
For example, when a Surface Pro device is charged beyond 50 percent and is plugged in with Battery Limit enabled, the battery will actively discharge to 50 percent. While the feature is making its debut on the Surface Pro 3 and Surface Pro 4, it will reach other devices soon. Microsoft plans to roll out the firmware to Surface 3, Surface Book, Surface Laptop, Surface Pro Model 1796 and Surface Pro with Advanced LTE Model 1807, Surface Book 2, and Surface Go.
