Microsoft Edge courts holiday shoppers with price alerts and price history tools

By Arif Bacchus Published November 18, 2021

As the holiday shopping season approaches and shoppers search for the best deals on the web, Microsoft is offering ways to help. The company has announced some new ways in which the Edge browser can help you get your holiday shopping done.

The top new feature is built into Microsoft Edge and will appear as you browse through online product listings. The browser will soon be able to help you keep an eye on products you’ve recently viewed, and alert you of price changes. This pairs up with existing features like price comparison, price history, and autofill coupons to help ensure that you not only save money but also time when checking retail listings.

The price history feature in Microsoft Edge — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Microsoft is aware that people might not always be browsing for deals on the desktop. More folks are using mobile phones for shopping, which is why Microsoft Edge’s built-in price comparison and price history tools are now coming to Android.

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“Now, you can be confident you have the best price on that one gift that your child just has to have, and you can also plan your future purchases with price history, all from your Android smartphone,” said Liat Ben-Zur, corporate vice president of Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft also detailed some Edge features that are focused on performance and password security, which can be important while holiday shopping. Easy update is a new feature being piloted in the password settings page in Edge that will make it easier to update your passwords should any become compromised.

Then there’s the new efficiency mode in Microsoft Edge. In this mode, Edge can reduce CPU and RAM usage when your laptop battery is too low. This can extend battery life and help you get more done while on the go and when unplugged from the wall. Efficiency mode first started rolling out in Edge version 95 in October.

Many people might also be using Microsoft Bing for shopping, so Microsoft has partnered with Good on You, a platform that rates fashion brands based on their performance in terms of a host of sustainability and social responsibility metrics. In the U.K., scores will show up on listings in Microsoft Bing to help align with your values.

Microsoft is also partnering with the Eden Reforestation Project. For every 10 purchases made in Microsoft Edge at eligible retailers, the company will make a donation to the Eden Reforestation Project to go toward planting trees.

Former Computing Writer

Arif Bacchus is a native New Yorker and a fan of all things technology. Arif works as a freelance writer at Digital Trends…

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