 "Google Chrome not the best browser in terms of power-efficiency: Microsoft")
Google's Chrome internet browser is not the most optimum option when it comes to conserving your laptop's battery, claims Microsoft.
The technology-giant pitted its browser, the Microsoft Edge, against popular browsers like Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Opera in a test to see which browser allowed the user to surf the internet longer.
The company claimed that it compared leading browsers across "three independent dimensions". Explaining the process, the company said in an official blog post: "First, we measured their power consumption in a controlled lab environment. Second, we examined the real-world energy telemetry from millions of Windows 10 devices. Finally, we recorded time-lapse videos of each browser performing the same tasks until the battery dies."
In one of the tests, the browsers, including Chrome, were compared by streaming and watching videos on Surface Books running their latest versions.
The company claims that the test, in which the same high-definition video was streamed wirelessly on each device till the battery ran out, shows that Microsoft Edge lasted three hours longer than Google Chrome.
Using a video camera, the company noted the exact duration of time after which each device stopped playing.
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According to the test, Chrome's performance was the least impressive at close to four hours and 19 minutes. Mozilla's Firefox fared significantly better and clocked in at over five hours and nine minutes, a score which was bettered by Opera at over six hours and 18 minutes. The clear winner, according to the test, was Microsoft's Edge — which ensured that the laptop was able to play the video in question for just a tad bit over seven hours and 22 minutes.
Additionally, the company said that "aggregated telemetry from millions of Windows 10 devices around the world" showed that the Microsoft Edge browser was more efficient, while running on the Windows 10 operating system, than Firefox or Chrome. The data showed that Chrome fared the worst in terms of average power consumption.
However, the controlled lab test used to determine the average power consumption in milliwatts for identical workloads in Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera (with battery saver mode enabled) showed that Chrome fared better than Firefox and Opera, but lost out to Microsoft's browser.
During typical browsing activities, the company claimed that its browser offered up to 36%-53% more battery life for a Windows 10 device than the competition.