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I logged into gmail using Microsoft Edge and Google immediately sent an email saying that my device doesn't have the latest Google apps.
How did Google come to know which apps I have installed and if they are latest or an older version? It would make sense if i was using the gmail app. But in my case, I logged in using the browser.
Or is it just a generic notification because I am accessing gmail via browser and Google assumes that I don't have the latest apps?
The login to Gmail is the very same you use for Play Store – so in fact Google knows it's you. The browser sends a user-agent string, by default identifying your device (brand and model). The history of your activities in Google Play Store tell which apps you've installed in what versions on this device.
So yes, that would be an easy thing to do for Google. I cannot say if that's really happening (or if your guess of not using the native app triggering such message is what's done) – but it's technically possible.
You've most likely received the notification since you accessed a Google Service (Gmail) through a non-Google Service (Microsoft Edge).
They probably assumed you bought a new Microsoft Device and sent out a default notification to remind you to install Chrome instead of relying on their competitor's browser. This happens to me on occasion when I log in to a new device at work, usually when it's been set up out of the box and I try to sync my Google Account.
