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ETA for ARM / Snapdragon support of Edge Chromium

Iron Contributor

Not sure if this has been asked before, but is there an ETA for an ARM compatible build of Edgium? The 32bit version works in emulation mode, but ARM native would be much faster and more power efficient. 

 

The original Edge mostly works on ARM, but it is painfully slow on YouTube (blame Google), and doesn't support custom searches, both of which are a regular pain point for me. Edit: Edge Chromium on ARM is also sorely needed for the Surface Pro X!

 

Edit: it's here, in fact it's been here for a while. I think it should auto install if the installer detects an ARM system, correct me if I'm wrong. 

38 Replies

@ChromeRefugee 

 

Hi, that's a great question. The majority of upcoming features and updates for supporting additional OS versions do not have actual hard dates attached. 

The ARM version is being worked on and hopefully will release soon, since I am looking forward to it as well! LOL

I would advise to keep watch on the "cutting edge" page since impending updates appear there first.

I hope this helps.

Eddie

 

Update: it turns out that this we can now at least run a compatible version: going to https://www.microsoftedgeinsider.com/en-us/  on your WOA / WOS device and running the installer works just fine. Would be nice if this was communicated more clearly to people with Win10 ARM devices.

 

Note that this installs 32bit Edge. WOA doesn't (and won't) support x64 software (i.e. 64bit x86 software). Also note that the 32bit install most likely won't let the user know when a native ARM version becomes available, so keep an eye on the blog I guess.  

@ChromeRefugee

When I use your posted link c2rsetup.officeapps.live.com is downloaded, however when I attempt to run the file it wants me to download an app in order to run it. In theory the app needed is the office deployment tool. Any tips you can offer to get this baby running? 

A browser that works would be an outstanding feature for my HP Elite 3.

@saabnut The HP Elite X3 is a Windows Phone 10 device right? I don't have experience with that model, I was talking about installing Edge Chromium on a WOA device (full Windows, not Win10 Phone). I don't think Win10 phone includes the emulation code to run x86 apps such as the current Edge Chromium. 

@ChromeRefugee Yes, HP Elite 3 is a windows 10 phone. And for sure it won't run x86 apps, which was another disappointment for me when I purchased it.

Now that the Surface Pro X is available for preorder, I would hope a native ARM64 compile of Edge Chromium is almost here. Is there any news on where/when to download it?

Continuing my conversation with myself: given that we haven't even seen a BETA version of Edge Chromium on ARM, I'm going out on a limb and predict that MS will not have Edgium ARM ready for the Surface Pro X.

 

Predicted result: users will install Chrome (because standard Edge is not up to snuff for many), then find out that Chrome runs terribly in emulation mode, which they will blame on the Pro X, which will lead to a tarnished image of the Pro X. 

@Eddie_B do you happen to have any new information on the ARM version of Edge Chromium? As you can tell from my previous reply above, I'm concerned that the lack of a native ARM version will hurt the Surface Pro X product launch. I hope you have some news to share, preferably of the positive variety.  

My understanding is that the version of Edge that can be installed on Android phones is compiled for Arm it's also using the Chromium engine. I don't know if it's 32  bit or 64 bit though but I do use it on my Android phone and it runs very well. I haven't heard anything and am just speculating but I would think that this could be used on Arm versions of Windows hardware.  @ChromeRefugee 

Thanks. I'm 99% sure that they'll go with the actual Edge Chromium based code that we can already use on ARM device, but in emulation mode. That version of Edge is optimized to work with large screens unlike - I assume - the android or iOS versions.

To bring a native Edge Chromium build to WOA systems they "simply" need to compile their existing code for ARM. It's beginning to look like they are having some problem though, either software, or perhaps patenting/licensing related. Totally guessing, but it's just weirdly quiet on the ARM front.

Well, at least the dev team knows about ARM CPUs, because the latest update mentions "Fixed an issue where protected video like on Netflix doesn’t work on ARM devices." That still probably refers to the emulated x86 version though. Baby steps. 

best response confirmed by ChromeRefugee (Iron Contributor)
Solution

Hi @ChromeRefugee, I am jumping straight to the end to respond.  We are working on a native ARM64 version of Microsoft Edge.  You can read about it here: https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2019/04/08/microsoft-edge-preview-channel-details/#d4RSZSQO3yPS3....  While we don't have anything to announce now, please be sure that we are still working diligently on bringing our new browser to ARM64 devices as soon as possible.  Thanks - Elliot

@Elliot Kirk Thanks for responding. I hope we'll see a beta before the end of the year. Fingers crossed!

@ChromeRefugeeI found these by Google searching but they're old Dev or Canary from June:

https://twitter.com/ADeltaXForce/status/1138919995545661440

https://twitter.com/ADeltaXForce/status/1139601188993810435

 

testing out on my Snapdragon 850 laptop and I do see the 64bit under About Edge, so it's definitely ARM64, but they're old, unfinished, I wish the Microsoft guys had opened up an official Beta ARM64 channel by now that the Surface X has come out.

 

Does this mean thus far we can only use this dodgy old leaked Beta or Firefox for native ARM64 browsing?

 

Also the recent rumors on Chrome of ARM64 being ready but Google perhaps holding it up until Q1 next year for one reason or the other.

 

I hope Microsoft can integrate with ones Google account, I want to sync all my passwords, bookmarks and etc everything over regardless if I use Microsoft Edge Chromium or the actual Chrome browser whenever Google makes that available.

@CharbaxSorry for posting these links here, but they've been leaked since June, I had expected we might have a Beta ARM64 channel in that Edge Insider thing by now, what's the reason we haven't got it yet? I would hope it's imminently going to be officially available since the Surface X is just about getting released today, the negative reviews due lack of native browser are coming out. Both Engadget and The Verge seem to be using the emulated 32bit Chrome on these no wonder the performance is sub par. Do these people even know only Firefox has an official available ARM64 beta browser at this point?

 

What do we have to do on ARM64 for now? Use the old non Chromium Edge? Use Firefox beta? That's it?

 

I understand doing a browser is insane work and huge probably many people are involved and working hard on it. But is it not yet ready at least for those insider type people in that insider beta page thingy? Would something about it be unsafe to release it officially there yet?

@Charbax 

 

Indeed ARM64 version should be MUCH higher on the priority list - especially since the Surface Pro X is releasing. The idiots form Verge and Engadget are of course using 32 bit x86 version of Chrome to conclude about the performance of the Surface Pro X.

 

Can we at least getting an outlook of when a beta version will become available? The last time ARM64 version of Chromium was mentioned was from April!

@Gerdi444 I agree that we need "Edgium" on ARM soon, but I can't blame The Verge for pointing out what happens when you use Chrome right now. I think it's pretty common for a user to try to install and use Chrome. The problem is that this will actually succeed, and that it will run badly. And as far as I know there are no hints by Win10 ARM on the best browser choices. The Pro X doesn't say "You're running an unoptimized browser", so how will the user ever found out that Firefox ARM exists, or that Edge Chromium ARM will be a thing? 

 

Ideally Edge Chromium on ARM should have been pre-installed as the default browser, with some intro text why it's the best choice. That ship has sailed, so I'm curious how they're going to turn around public perception, and how they're going to get users to switch to Edge Chromium on ARM. 

@ChromeRefugee I agree I think Windows 10 on Arm needs to have some kind of "app update alerts system" in that bottom right corner, that informs whenever the user uses an emulated app and most importantly informs the user when the ARM64 recompiled version of that specific app becomes available with a "This app is now available recompiled for ARM64 with better performance, would you like to update this app? Yes / Later" or another altert text like "This app which you are using has not yet been recompiled for ARM64, it's being emulated. Would you like to see a list of alternative apps that are compiled for the ARM64 architecture? For example Firefox and Beta Edge Chromium browsers are currently available. Yes / Later" Same thing might show if for example GIMP is ready on ARM64 but some of the Adobe series isn't yet ARM64 compiled. I would expect Microsoft/Qualcomm also give all the support incentives necessary to convince a major app developer like Adobe to port their whole app suite to ARM64 as soon as possible, so this isn't a big negative on the platform anymore. To make sure the top most important productivity, editing, graphic apps all are available and recompiled. And any user attempting to install the x86 versions of any of these should get a notice if there is the ARM64 version available somewhere to download and install instead. And of course every major open source project, Microsoft has hopefully got a team going out to recompile each project already, just as they already recompiled VLC a while ago like that which is great.

@Charbax and when users try to install games, the system should suggest that the user may consider signing up to a cloud gaming service like Shadow, perhaps even partner with Shadow to offer people a free trial of that service, at least offer incentive to Shadow to provide their client compiled for the ARM64 which they haven't yet. Or link users up to the xcloud cloud gaming service even to Google Stadia whenever that one becomes available. Same warning or suggestion may appear if the user tries to install a too performance hungry app like a big video editor app, while I'd love to see all major video editors like Vegas, Avid, Premiere and others recompiled for ARM64, it may perform best to run those on a service like Shadow which is what I have been doing for all my video editing needs on my Snapdragon 850 laptop for over a year now.

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best response confirmed by ChromeRefugee (Iron Contributor)
Solution

Hi @ChromeRefugee, I am jumping straight to the end to respond.  We are working on a native ARM64 version of Microsoft Edge.  You can read about it here: https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2019/04/08/microsoft-edge-preview-channel-details/#d4RSZSQO3yPS3....  While we don't have anything to announce now, please be sure that we are still working diligently on bringing our new browser to ARM64 devices as soon as possible.  Thanks - Elliot

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