Microsoft’s new Edge Browser won’t fix a familiar shortcoming
Microsoft’s working on a slicker version of its Edge browser based of Google’s open source Chromium tech, but it won’t fix one of the service’s biggest flaws, according to new alleged leaked images.
The leaked images appeared on Neowin on Monday, and allegedly show off an early build of a new version of the Edge browser. The screens suggested the new browser will come with a number of nifty improvements, including support form Chrome extensions as well as Microsoft’s own.
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The menu system suggests the browser will also feature sync support, which will make it easy for new users to sync their settings and extensions with Edge automatically when moving from Chrome or Chromium. Previously, this was a feature unique to more professional-focused browsers such as Vivaldi, which remains my power-user browser of choice.
However the leaks indicate the browser won’t fix Edge’s biggest bug bear: its insistence on pushing Microsoft’s Bing search engine.
Bing search has come a long way since it launched, but according to the latest stats from GSStatcounter, the browser still only has a 2.4% share of the search engine market. This pales in comparison to Google search, which accounted for 93% of all searchers over February.
The use of Bing is believed to be a key reason Edge only held a 4.3% share of the browser market in February, according to NetMarketShare. Chrome held 65% of the market by comparison.
Outside of this, the leaks suggest the new Browser’s UI will be fairly similar to Chrome’s, featuring tabs for extensions and your profile on the right hand side of the address bar and all but identical home and navigation buttons.
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None of this is official, and Trusted Reviews‘ has asked Microsoft for further details.
Chromium is an open source project and web browser released by Google in 2008. It shares a lot of common code with the company’s Chrome browser, whose development is directly managed by Google. The open source Chromium version is popular with developers and Linux users, thanks to its easy customisability.
Excited about a new version of Edge based on Chromium? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
