14 DAY TRIAL // Even though Google has never been a big supporter of Microsoft’s modern platforms, the search giant is believed to be working on bringing its super-popular Google Chrome browser to Windows 10 on ARM.
Devices running Windows 10 on ARM, also referred to as Always-Connected PCs, are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile processors optimized for x86 emulation.
While in terms of performance these devices do not match their x86 siblings, Always-Connected PCs can deliver outstanding battery life, sometimes reaching more than 20 hours per charge.
At this point, however, they are limited to just a handful of apps, including Microsoft Edge as the only browser available for Windows 10 on ARM.
But as Qualcomm recently confirmed, Google is already working on porting Google Chrome to Windows 10 on ARM, and according to recent findings, the project is currently under way.
No timeline available yet
Furthermore, it seems that Microsoft and Google are working together on this, as discovered by 9to5mac in a number of commits.
Other specifics aren’t available at this point, so an ETA as to when the launch could take place isn’t available. However, it goes without saying that Google Chrome coming to Windows 10 on ARM would be an important win for Microsoft, especially because this particular project is yet to gain traction so far.
The first-generation Always-Connected PCs has been criticized for the limited performance and the lack of apps. Microsoft promised to improve performance with the second generation, and by the looks of things, the company is also working on bringing more apps to the platform by partnering with a series of companies, including long-time rival Google.
A Microsoft Store version of Google Chrome does not exist right now, but users on Windows 10 can download the Win32 version of the browser to replace the default OS browser Microsoft Edge.