In February 2023, Microsoft held a special event at its headquarters in Redmond. On this occasion, Bing Chat was also unveiled, a service that later became Microsoft Copilot.
Microsoft also announced with much fanfare that it would be giving the Edge browser a new design to align with the big changes brought about by AI.
Edge: Un nou design
Yusef Mehdi, one of the company’s executives, said on stage at the event that the Edge will receive a major aesthetic update.
It described the new design as “more elegant” and noted the introduction of rounded tab buttons as well as a pronounced blur effect in the browser window.
After years of Edge having a Chrome-like design, Microsoft seemed eager to give it an identity of its own, especially in light of the anticipated success of Bing Chat and Copilot. At the same time, the new design aimed to harmonize with the aesthetics of Windows 11 and the design philosophy of the company.
Abandoning the original design
However, even though more than a year has passed since the official announcement, the new design has not been released in a final form.
Initially, users could enable the new interface through experimental features, but the latest versions of the browser have completely removed this option.
Furthermore, a company spokesperson recently confirmed to Windows Central that Microsoft is ditching the rounded tab design and other elements that were previously featured.
Reasons behind the decision
The decision to abandon this look is surprising, especially since the new interface would have brought the browser closer to the modern aesthetics of Windows 11.
Currently, Edge will remain largely unchanged, retaining only a few elements of the new design, such as the border around web pages and the repositioning of the user button.
Similarity to Chrome
A possible explanation for this change in direction could be the desire to facilitate the transition of users from Google Chrome to Edge.
Given that both browsers are based on the Chromium platform, an interface similar to that of Chrome could convince users to migrate to Edge more easily.
This theory is also supported by the company’s various efforts to convince users to switch to Edge over Chrome, including distributing Bing extensions on Chrome or even “stealing” tabs from Chrome.
Source: Windows Central
Source: www.go4it.ro
