Microsoft launched Edge Canary for Android yesterday. The new version of Edge – 91.0.858.0 – is in line with the Windows 10 desktop version of Edge Canary, and as a result, is a massive leap over what Edge offered on Android before. We already covered the news of Edge Canary launching on Android, but I wanted to share a quick first impressions post of the app.
The current version of Edge beta on Android is 46.03.24.5155, which seems ancient compared to version 91.0.858.0 seen in the new Edge Canary. With that massive jump comes a fresh user interface, menu layout, and improved scrolling. Edge Canary also supports edge://flags, just like the desktop version of Edge.
The jump comes from the fact that Microsoft is unifying the codebase of Edge across platforms. This will help bring new features to Edge on Android and other platforms while also easing the development process.
The shift to Edge Canary brings a ton of noteworthy improvements, but after downloading the app and using it throughout the day, my main takeaway is its speed. If the only thing that changed between the old version and the new version was speed, I'd still be happy, considering it's as fast as it is.
I know it's cliche to say that an update "seems faster." It's a recurring joke in Microsoft news circles for a reason. That being said, Edge Canary for Android legitimately does seem faster. The browser absolutely flies for me. Pages load instantly, scrolling is smooth, and navigating the browser feels leaps and bounds above the standard version of Edge on Android.
Edge Canary is in its early stages, so some people have run into bugs and issues. That's to be expected with any app in preview. I happen to be one of the lucky ones that haven't run into any issues. I've been able to sign in with my Microsoft account and zip across the web.
One person on Reddit has been impressed by Edge Canary's ability to scale across the Galaxy Fold 2. Others appreciate its speed on displays with 90Hz refresh rates. Overall, it seems like I'm not alone in noticing the massive speed bump for Edge on Android.
I hope that this is a glimpse of things to come. If Edge continues in this direction, it could become the best browser on Android.
New and improved
The new Microsoft Edge Canary is a massive leap ahead of what's currently available on Edge's normal Android version. It's incredibly fast and shows promise for the future.
