14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft Edge spearheads Microsoft’s push on Android and iOS, and the browser is getting better with every release, especially at it reaches more devices.
In the Apple ecosystem, Microsoft Edge launched with support for the iPhone back in November, after previously being offered as a beta to users enrolled in the TestFlight program.
Earlier this year, Microsoft itself confirmed that Edge would land on the iPad as well, and while the original February target wasn’t met, the browser is now available on Apple’s tablets, again for TestFlight users.
Version 41.12 (12.0.0) comes with several performance improvements and a new sign in experience on the iPad, though the browser is very likely to continue getting more substantial refinements before it gets the go-ahead for all iPad users.
Microsoft Edge on iOS
Originally launched as a Windows 10-exclusive app, Microsoft Edge is part of Microsoft’s strategy of expanding its offering in the Android and iOS ecosystems.
Since Windows 10 Mobile itself is pretty much dead, Microsoft’s only way to remain relevant in mobile is to continue offering its apps and services to users on Android and iOS. And Edge is one key player in this push, as it brings rival devices in sync with Windows 10 PCs, thus helping Microsoft keep mobile users onboard, despite not having its very own mobile platform.
Microsoft Edge, however, has a hard time boosting adoption figures on most platforms, and the most relevant example is on PCs where it’s offered as the default browser in Windows 10.
Microsoft Edge has a share of approximately 5 percent, while leader Google Chrome is running on more than 60 percent of the PCs worldwide. Microsoft turned to rather aggressive tactics to make Edge more widely adopted, including desktop popups, but until now, all these strategies are yet to pay off, with Edge remaining an underdog in the browser battle.