According to various online rumors, Microsoft will launch a more “lightweight” new browser for Windows 10, which will still use Microsoft’s own web search engine but operate more like Chrome or Firefox. 
Earlier rumors said Microsoft would heavily revamp the Windows 10 IE codenamed “Spartan”, but ZDNet said it’s actually a brand-new browser. The report said because the change is so large, future Windows will offer IE 11 as an alternative in case users need this version of the browser to open specific apps or use specific features.
According to the report, Spartan is a browser newly developed by Microsoft. Because Win8’s IE was released in desktop and touch versions, while this new browser can present the same website in four views (e.g. desktop, mobile, etc.), Spartan can make up for IE’s absence on mobile clients and tablets. But this feature, besides being usable by developers, is hard to find any other use. So Spartan won’t necessarily completely replace the IE browser; it may just supplement it, with both running simultaneously.
As previously reported, “Spartan” is a Windows Store app, and we can now confirm it will replace the Modern version of IE including Windows 8.1. The “Spartan” browser supports Flash Player and cross-platform use, meaning from mobile Windows 10 Mobile (WP) to desktop Windows 10 it works normally, even on Xbox consoles.
It is reported that Spartan removes almost all the clutter of traditional browsers, leaving only the address bar and favorites, settings, and home page, and the home page looks almost the same as the latest IE. Overall the UI is extremely simple, with larger buttons for navigation and settings. Obviously, the browser emphasizes visual and tactile experience. These buttons have no labels, and the pointer is cleverly placed on both sides of the address bar. However, browser tabs are reduced to just some site icons (same as the icons next to site names in current IE).
According to news from inside Microsoft, the “Spartan” browser is expected to appear at the Windows 10 launch event on the 21st of this month, but the exposed browser versions so far look very crude; the Microsoft team surely has a lot of work to do before releasing the preview version.
Spartan’s design philosophy is a standalone browser spanning PC, tablet, and phone platforms; also Spartan will be Windows 10’s main browser, and Spartan will be a Windows Store app, making it easier for enterprise and individual users to install, upgrade, and update. Whether Spartan is the new name for the future browser or just an internal development codename, and whether it will continue the IE brand, is not yet clear. 
