The battery life of your Surface Pro can generally be anywhere between 5 hours and 19 hours, depending on which model you have. Your exact battery life can vary greatly depending on your unique usage and settings.
As someone who uses laptops and other devices for work each and every day, I’m aware of how important it is to know how long a battery will last. If you don’t, you run the risk of being stuck with a dead device halfway through the day, with nowhere to charge it.
With that in mind, this guide is going to take a closer look at not only how long a Surface Pro will last, but also the things you can do to extend its battery life.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- The battery life of your Surface Pro can be anywhere from 5 hours to 19 hours, depending on the model.
- How you use the device, and the settings you prefer, can have a major impact on how long it lasts.
- There are several things you can do to extend the battery life of your Surface Pro, such as turning down the brightness, closing unused programs, or disconnecting external devices.
How Long Does a Surface Pro Battery Last?
As mentioned in the introduction, the battery life of most Surface Pro devices will fall somewhere between 5 hours and 19 hours. Each generation of Surface Pro comes out with new specs and features a new battery, and this has an impact on battery life.
For example, the brand new Surface Pro 9 with 5G is reported to get up to 19 hours of battery life with typical usage, whereas the original Surface Pro would only last a fraction of that. The older your Surface, generally the worse battery life it will have.
Another example of this is that the Surface Pro 3 will normally work for up to 9 hours, whereas a Surface Pro 8 can keep working for 16 hours of typical usage.
Also, it is important to know that the battery life of all Surface Pro devices will lessen over time. This is the truth of all devices powered by lithium-ion batteries, as their capacity will slowly decrease over time.
So while a brand new Surface Pro 7 might get around 10.5 hours, the same model that has been used daily for years will often get considerably less as the battery simply doesn’t have the max capacity that it used to.
However, the exact battery life that you end up getting will depend on how you use your Surface Pro. Someone who uses it for light browsing and Microsoft Office will get a longer battery life than someone who watches movies, plays games, or uses other intensive programs.
Tips to Extend Surface Pro Battery Life
If you find your battery life is starting to worsen, or just need a little more life out of your device before you find a charger, here are a few helpful tips to help you get more out of your Surface Pro battery.
Turn down the brightness
One of the simplest ways to save a bit of battery is lower the brightness on the screen. The display of your Surface Pro uses a ton of battery compared to other parts of the device. To decrease the brightness, simply go to Settings > System > Display and then move the slider.
In a similar vein, you can also use power saver mode to reduce how much battery your computer will utilize during normal usage. This will decrease the brightness and also find additional ways to lower power consumption.
Close unneeded programs and apps
One thing that can eat away at your battery incredibly quickly is running too many programs or applications. Many programs are consistently running in the background, and these can drain the battery the same way a program you are actively using can.
If you find your battery life isn’t holding up, open the Task Manager and consider closing out certain programs that are not being used. You may be shocked at how many things are running that you don’t need or want.
Disconnect external devices
If you have external devices attached to your Surface Pro like a USB drive, speakers, a headset, or a variety of others, these can cause your battery to drain much faster. The simple act of disconnecting them, even just for a little bit, will have a noticeable impact on your battery.
FAQs
Here are a few commonly asked questions about Surface Pro batteries and battery life, along with their answers.
Can you replace the battery in a Surface Pro?
While Microsoft doesn’t offer a battery replacement service on all Surface Pro devices, they do on the newer models such as the 7, 7+, 8, and 9. You can replace the battery on your own, but it is a difficult job and is only something someone with knowledge and expertise should try.
How can I better protect the battery health of my Surface Pro?
If you want to keep your Surface Pro battery in good shape, you need to protect and care for it. Avoid using your device in extreme temperatures for prolonged periods of time, and make sure the battery is allowed to drain below 50% from time to time, instead of always keeping it full.
A battery that is kept at a full charge constantly will generally lose its capacity quicker than one that is drained to below 50% frequently and then charged back up.
Final Thoughts
While a Surface Pro will get between 5 and 19 hours of battery life, the exact amount you can expect will depend on the model you have, how you generally use the device, and how you have treated it over time.
How long does your Surface Pro (or other laptop/tablet) battery last and how old is it? Let us know in a comment below!
