When devices run hot, it can affect performance and how certain things function. For example if you’ve ever experienced a computer, laptop, or mobile device that is overheating, you might notice how its performance might suffer, where suddenly everything seems to be running slow, apps are stuttering, and so on.
Heat can also affect how certain components perform, which is what Surface Pro 4 users are experiencing with their devices. According to reports, it seems that about 1,600 Surface Pro 4 users are reporting screen flickering issues, where it seems that it occurs when the device starts to get hot.
To get around this problem, or to at least temporarily alleviate it, Surface Pro 4 users are apparently sticking their tablets into the freezer to cool them down. In a statement provided to The Verge, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “We are aware that some customers have experienced a screen flicker on Surface Pro 4 and are monitoring the situation closely. Customers impacted by this should contact Microsoft support.”
It seems that this is a hardware problem and not a software one, which means that it is unlikely that a software update will be able to address the issue, however thankfully the 1,600 users affected are said to represent less than 1% of all Surface Pro 4 devices, so it isn’t a widespread issue.