Surface Pro 4 Screen Flickers

I have the same problem as many other Microsoft users (summarized below)

What is Microsoft's solution to resolve the Surface Pro 4 flickering screen?

ISSUE

Due to the pandemic, I now need to work remotely and use this Surface for 8 or more hours each day.  The first full day was a surprise when my screen started flickering.  I see that Microsoft knew about this issue and arranged to extend the warranty to 3 years.  Unfortunately, my Surface Pro 4 is just past the 3 years.  I feel that since my Surface was registered when I bought it that Microsoft should have notified me that my Surface was in the batch of known hardware defects.  Had I known about this issue, I would have taken care of this issue immediately.  Instead, I was left to discover this on my own over time.  Now, Microsoft support has offered to replace my Surface with a used certified Surface for an additional $599.99 with only a 90 day warranty.  I don't really want to spend an additional $599.99 but I will if I have to so I can continue to get some work done.  I have 2 issues with this, one is that Microsoft had my contact information from my registered device and never contacted me to say I had this known hardware issue and second is that after I spend $599.99 I will get a used device with only a 90 warranty. 

1) What is Microsoft's resolution to this?

2) How do we implement the solution during the COVID-19 crisis?

We have started having this issue after school style usage . It started with flickering issue recently and we were out of warranty. MS has previously made exceptions to the "out of warranty replacements" .. I have reached out to them to take consideration of the follow.

1. Our device was a registered device and it was regsitered in feb 2017 !!! and it is an expectation that the users of registered devices get notified of a potential hardware issue discovered  and not let them land on the issue to start charging them.
2. This is an exceptional situation that the current covid-19 has put the usage of surface pro device more everyday and flickers start in less than 30 minutes of usage and is a real harm to the eyes of the students and a health hazard.
3. Customer service has concluded that the issue is a hardware issue after remote access into the device and trying out various fixes to their satisfaction.
4. MS has previously made judgement calls to replace out of warranty device of Surface pro 4 as in this thread by a user post on Replied on May 4, 2017

"https://answers.microsoft.com/"

5. We have invested heavily (close to $1700) on this device marketed as a high end versatile device .  Customer service had just 2 options for us

      a) buy a new surface pro 6/7 with a $200 credit applied and to make a decision in 15 days

      b) pay a $599 to get a refurbished surface pro 5

And none of these are workable for us .

None of these can take away the fact that we were left with a device with a known hardware issue without any sort of notification even after duly registering the device on the MS website. 

We have requested the customer service to escalate this to the next level and would need a fair treatment for customers . Not only this is a paid hardware , it is a paid operating system software too and not a open source freeware!!!!

i am wondering if a windows update is causing this problem 

federal government should look into if Microsoft is intentionally degrading the UX  of old versions to force upgrade.

You can call this paranoia but Apple did this to its customers by making the UX slower and favoring newer products  to older ones.

Hate to think this way but dam I have lost trust in all corporations  due to the abuses we see with data too

:(

I have same problem. I thought a firmware update would help but cannot find the right file?

After many hours of use the device screen seems to fail. It makes the device useless.  Very unhappy with the experience. 

Also, generally unhappy with the expensive price points of Microsoft hardware. seems they taking the Apple model.

Also, their bundling strategy seems to be like Apple to - i.e. deny core things like key boards then soaking people with abusive pricing. This results in an effective price that is very high.

Net, the value  seems to be decreasing and its being replaced with greed.

Just maybe the federal government needs to step into again and start to regulate the abusive pricing tactics of near monopolies like Apple and Microsoft where they create a dependency on this products and then start to jack prices over time. Seems more of a drug dealer pricing strategy  to create dependency and then boost prices.

I really liked my Surface and originally liked how Microsoft was so service oriented - but as the product has matured they seem to have lost their commitment to delivering real value.

Not sure I am going to keep using surface - going to do some comparison shopping. Going to look at other resellers and also a chrome book.

Samuel-- I feel like I could have written your post as I have the identical problem. Prior to the pandemic, my Surface Pro 4 had very light use. I mainly used it as a way to back up my iTunes library. Since SIP, which in the San Francisco Bay Area began on March 17, 2020, I have been using the Surface Pro daily for several hours. The flickering problem began while I was in a Zoom meeting on 4/28/20. I was dismayed to find out that Microsoft was only willing to deal with the issue for devices purchased within 3 years. I had purchased mine on 1/22/17.

My partner suggested I contact Microsoft to see if they would make an exception, due to the extraordinary circumstances we all find ourselves in currently and replace my device without any out of pocket expense on my part. I have received no satisfaction on this front after two separate Tech Support phone calls on two different days this week. On one of these calls, I was also told that I could get a refurbished unit for $599. NO, I am not willing to shell out any more money  to Microsoft for a known problem.  The other tech person suggested I hook up an external monitor or use a smart TV. NO and NO! First of all, sometimes the flickering and ghosting then freeze my Surface Pro 4 so that wouldn't really work. Secondly, the work I am doing from home is as a contact tracer and all health information must be kept confidential so working from a TV? I don't think so.

My question is this: if Microsoft acknowledged the problem after pressure was put on them and finally accepted responsibility for those units that developed the problem within 3 years of purchase date, why didn't they send out any advisory to all of the people that had purchased this model to let them know of the problem? It seems to me that this would have been the responsible thing for them to do. Will there need to be pressure put on them again, possibly renewing the idea of a class action lawsuit to replace the units like mine and those of many other folks that developed the problem just outside of the 3 year window (no pun intended)?

It certainly doesn't make me want to purchase any other Microsoft products.

Im shocked! 

I have the exact same Problem. My SP4 is also 3,5 years old and began the flickering in march/end of febrary. I just called Microsoft and they told me I could buy a refurbished one for 640€ (im from Germany). I worked hard for this SP4 besides studying, even made my sister and my best friend buy one. 

Now I have a 1000€ device that does not work. If I knew that, I would have bought a Laptop for 300€ where I can expect a Lifetime of 3 years, BUT NOT FOR 1000€!

For 750€ I can buy a refurbished Mcbook Pro 2015 with 3 years!!! warranty. 

I feel betrayed by Microsoft. I also registered the device but didnt get any Information about it.