Microsoft claims that the Microsoft Edge web browser prioritizes power efficiency and delivers more battery life, without any special battery saving mode or changes to the default settings. Internal testing and data show that you can browse longer with Microsoft Edge than with Chrome, Firefox, or Opera on Windows 10 devices, according to Jason Weber, Director, Web Platform Team, Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft compared today’s popular browsers across three independent dimensions. First, the company measured their power consumption in a controlled lab environment. Second, they examined the real-world energy telemetry from millions of Windows 10 devices. Finally, Microsoft recorded time-lapse videos of each browser performing the same tasks until the battery dies.

"Microsoft Edge wins out in every case, which translates to longer battery life for you," Weber says.

Microsoft promises that the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, which is coming later this summer, will include even more power-saving improvements, will use fewer CPU cycles, consume less memory, and minimize the impact of background activity and peripheral content like Flash advertisements.

The test

Microsoft connected a Surface Book to specialized power monitoring equipment and measured the actual power usage during typical browsing activities in Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Each browser was automated to perform the same series of activities: opening websites, scrolling through articles, and watching videos, opening new tabs for each task. Microsoft used the same websites - Facebook, Google, YouTube, Amazon, Wikipedia and more.

According to Microsoft, the power consumption by browser was the following: Microsoft Edge had an average consumption of 2068 milliwatts; Chrome 2819; Opera (battery saver) 3077; Firefox 3161.

For these browsing activities, the tests show Microsoft Edge is a more energy efficient browser on Windows 10, with up to 36%-53% more battery life to get what you need done - whether you’re studying at the library, researching dream vacation destinations, or checking in with your friends on social networks.

To measure Windows efficiency and identify opportunities, Microsoft also measured aggregated telemetry from millions of Windows 10 devices around the world.

To help you experience the difference, Microsoft compared what happens when watching streaming videos on Surface Books running the latest versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. The company streamed the same high-definition video wirelessly on each device and set up a video camera to record the laptops until each one died, noting the time when each device stopped playing.

Microsoft says that Edge outlasts the rest, delivering 17%-70% more battery life than the competition. Microsoft Edge lasted three hours longer than Google Chrome, while the competition stalls out halfway through.