Latest version of Google Chrome includes much needed battery life improvements

Google just pushed a new version of its Chrome browser out to users, a highlight of which being its improved battery consumption compared to previous versions of the browser.

To show off the newest version of Chrome and throw a direct hit at Microsoft for advertising Edge by showing offits better power performance, Google decided to use two Surface Books to test the new Chrome. Google’s test video showed that the latest version of Chrome lasts for 2 hours and 12 minutes longer than last year’s Chrome v46. Chrome 46 lasted 8 eight hours and 27 minutes, while Chrome 53 lasted 10 hours and 39 minutes.

This indeed is a huge improvement, but we can’t just blindly say that Google Chrome is now better than Edge in this aspect. The first thing that draws attention is that two companies obtained completely different results when testing Chrome’s power consumption. Secondly, Microsoft used Google Chrome version 51 in comparison with Edge, while Google used v49, which also doesn’t give us a clear image.

Also, looping a video can’t be a trustworthy test, but Google disassociated itself from critics by saying that first:

“Of course, people use their browsers for more than just video. That’s why we’ve been improving battery life across the board, tracking progress using power measurement tools.”

All in all, Google Chrome is still the most popular web browser in the world, but it indeed burns the most battery. However, Google is aware of that, and by releasing more updates like this, it could completely catch up with competition in terms of power consumption.

Besides improved battery consumption, the latest version of Google Chrome also includes faster checkouts for Google Play along with some more improvements. If you want to find out more about these features, check out Google Chrome’s blog.

Since these tests were performed on Surface Book, we can’t tell you how the new version of Chrome will perform on your laptop. So, if you have a lot of spare time and want to find out which browser consumes more energy, perform this test by yourself.

RELATED STORIES YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT:

• Chrome for Windows updated with Material Design
• Microsoft Office alternative OpenOffice anticipates shutdown