Google
is
releasing
an
optimized
version
of
its
Chrome
browser
for
Windows
on
Arm
this
week,
the
search
giant
has
announced
alongside
chipmaker
Qualcomm.
The
official
release
comes
two
months
after
an
early
version
of
the
browser
was
spotted
in
Chrome’s
Canary
channel.
Qualcomm
says
the
release
“will
roll
out
starting
today.”
The
release
will
be
a
big
deal
for
any
Chrome
users
with
Windows
machines
powered
by
Arm-based
processors,
who’ll
now
have
access
to
a
much
faster
native
browser.
That’s
in
contrast
to
the
x64
version
of
Chrome
they’ve
previously
had
to
run
in
an
emulated
state
with
slow
performance.
Arm-based
users
have
previously
been
able
to
turn
to
Microsoft’s
Edge,
which
is
already
available
for
Windows
on
Arm
devices.
Today’s
announcement
comes
ahead
of
the
launch
of
Qualcomm’s
latest
Arm-based
processors
for
Windows,
dubbed
Snapdragon
X
Elite,
which
are
expected
to
arrive
this
summer
with
some
big
performance
promises
to
live
up
to.
Google’s
Arm-optimized
version
of
Chrome
will
technically
run
on
any
Arm-based
Windows
PC,
regardless
of
processor
manufacturer,
but
Qualcomm
is
the
only
one
making
Arm-based
processors
for
Windows
right
now.
“We’ve
designed
Chrome
browser
to
be
fast,
secure
and
easy
to
use
across
desktops
and
mobile
devices,”
said
Google’s
Hiroshi
Lockheimer.
“Our
close
collaboration
with
Qualcomm
will
help
ensure
that
Chrome
users
get
the
best
possible
experience
while
browsing
the
web
on
current
Arm-compatible
PCs.”
This
isn’t
the
first
time
Google
has
released
an
Arm-optimized
version
of
Chrome,
having
released
a
native
version
of
its
browser
for
Apple’s
Arm-based
Macs
in
2020.
The
search
giant
has
also
long
supported
Arm-based
processors
for
Chromebooks
in
ChromeOS.
But
the
release
of
a
native
Arm-based
version
of
the
world’s
most
popular
browser
for
Windows
could
offer
a
significant
boost
for
Windows
on
Arm
in
a
year
when
consumer-focused
Surface
devices
are
expected
to
switch
fully
to
Arm.
(Originally posted by Jon Porter)
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