Microsoft says that the new version of the Edge browser based on the Google’s Chromium engine will be officially available for download in the “Stable” channel on January 15, 2020.
The company revealed the release date for the stable version of Microsoft Edge during the rollout of version 79, which is the final beta version, or release candidate of the browser. After version 79, Microsoft is expected to release the final version in the stable channel for Windows 10 as well as macOS users on January 15.
Although the new version of Microsoft Edge shares many design similarities found in Google Chrome, such as visual elements and support for extensions, the company has been adding its own design touches and features for a product that looks similar to its predecessor but works just like Chrome.
As for new features, in addition to all the essential functionalities, the Chromium version of Edge will include a new ocean-wave-like logo that ditches the IE-style logo. You’ll find tab memory-saving feature to reduce memory usage when opening multiple tabs.
Microsoft Edge also implements a new online tracking protection feature, which allows to choose among three levels of privacy, including unrestricted, balanced, and strict to prevent malicious and advertisement companies from collecting your activities and other valuable information.
Collections is a new feature designed to help you to easily collect text, images, videos, and other content into a note page. When using Collections, a new flyout will appear from the right side, where you can drag and drop content from the web. It’ll format the content correctly, and it’ll even add footnote with link references of the sources that you used.
Other features include, dark mode support, the ability to create multiple profiles and install web apps on your computer. Support for tabs, favorites, and password sync across devices, and Internet Explorer mode for enterprises to provide a seamless compatibility with older sites and applications.