14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is hard at work on getting the new Chromium-based Edge browser ready for prime time, and while the company is currently updating Canary and Dev builds regularly, no specifics have been provided as to when we could expect the stable browser to ship.
But according to a recent discovery revealed by Microsoft watcher Rafael Rivera on Twitter, the latest Windows 10 preview build for Fast ring insiders comes with code suggesting the Chromium engine could become the new Windows default browser in the 20H1 update.
Windows 10 20H1 preview builds are currently being tested with help from Windows insiders in the Fast ring. The most recent preview build is 18936 and shipped earlier this week.
The discovery indicates that the original Microsoft Edge, the one that’s currently available in the stable versions of Windows 10, would be hidden in the 20H1 update, while the Chromium-based sibling would become the new default.
Windows 10 20H1 due in the spring
If this is true, the Chromium browser should be finalized by the time the 20H1 update is completed as well.
As per Microsoft’s typical schedule, Windows 10 20H1 is projected to be ready in March 2020, while the public rollout should kick off in April or May the same year.
The Chromium Microsoft Edge is also available on macOS thanks to the migration to a cross-platform browser engine. A Linux version of the browser could also be developed, albeit for the time being, Microsoft is yet to publicly announce any plans in this regard.
Meanwhile, users can download Dev and Canary builds of Microsoft Edge on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, and macOS. If everything goes according to the plan, beta builds could ship later this year, ahead of the stable version that’s supposed to be included in the 20H1 update for Windows 10.