Just a few weeks ago, Google finally launched a version of its Chrome web browser that supports devices running Windows on ARM-based processors. Today, another web browser, Vivaldi, launched a new version that also supports Windows on ARM but is in a very early state.
In a blog post, Vivaldi stated:
As an extra bonus we also include Windows arm64 “architecture preview” packages for those of you with suitable hardware. These builds are not yet part of our automated test system and have only been lightly tested on one piece of hardware. Serious issues may exist and should be expected. Nonetheless, any testing and feedback would be greatly appreciated!
You can download the new 3329.7 version of the browser from the blog post in Windows 10/11 32-bit and 64-bit versions, along with macOS and Linux versions and the new and very early Windows 10/11 ARM64 version.
The release of Google Chrome and Vivaldi browsers with Windows ARM support seems to show that there’s a growing interest in making apps that run natively on that kind of hardware. That’s due to the upcoming launch of new Windows notebooks that will have Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite CPUs
These processors, which were officially announced in October 2023, were designed to give Intel, AMD, and Apple’s M1 chips a run for their money in terms of performance. The Qualcomm chips will include 12 high-performance cores and a maximum clock speed of 3.8GHz, along with an integrated Adreno GPU and an AI-themed neural processing unit.
A number of major Windows PC makers have confirmed they will release notebooks with the Snapdragon X Elite chip in 2024, They include Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, HONOR, Lenovo, Microsoft, Samsung, and Xiaomi.
Earlier this week, images that allegedly show an upcoming Snapdragon X Elite-based notebook, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14, found their way onto the internet. Details about the notebook’s hardware specs were not revealed, however.