Opera Mini for iPhone submitted to Apple for approval

Opera Mini for iPhone was officially submitted to the Apple iPhone App store today. A select few first saw it at Mobile World Congress 2010 in February. Now, the “fast like a rocket” browser is taking its first big step towards giving users a new way to browse on the iPhone.Early reviews of Opera Mini for iPhone praised the sheer browsing speed, powering through Web pages up to six times faster

Virgin Mobile Partner's with Opera Mini in the U.S.

Fan's of MVNO carrier: Virgin Mobile USA rejoice, they've signed a deal with Opera Software to make Opera Mini available either as a download or pre-installed on selected handsets. Opera Mini is one of the earliest 'full web browsers'. This is a smart move in my opinion simply because the "full web browsing" experience is a must for phones moving forward; partnering with Opera Software will give Virgin Mobile an easy access to a better web browsing experience for their mobile customers.

Opera Mini 4.2.13337 Fixes Little Bugs for Nokia 5800 and BlackBerry

If you are using the Opera Mini on the BlackBerry devices or Nokia 5800, here is a little Opera Mini software update for you. The new 4.2.13337 version will address 2 issues; the ”Zoom” and “Edit” back in BlackBerry menu and Disabled landscape mode and virtual keypad on Nokia 5800. The rest of the Opera Mini users on other devices are not required to download this software update.You can

Opera Mini 4.2 for android

Today, Opera Software released the final version of its much-anticipated Opera Mini 4.2 for mobile phones. This release also marks Opera Mini’s official availability on the latest version of the Android mobile platform. A technical preview of Opera Mini was previously released for an earlier version of Android in April 2008. Opera Mini 4.2 adds more language versions and offers added skin

Opera Mini 4.2 Beta Released Today

Opera Mini 4.2 Beta version released today which promises more functions and features than you can handle. With customizable skin, video support (SonyEriccson and Nokia phones should work on with m.youtube.com now) and faster performance.

Long before iPhone and its mobile Safari browser, Opera Mini and Opera Mobile reigned supreme. I am curious to test this new browser myself, will dust off the N95-3 and give it a whirl tonight. Stay tuned.

Mobile Web use surges in Africa according to Opera’s latest Mobile Web report

Opera Software uncovers exponential growth in Africa’s mobile Web usage in its latest State of the Mobile Web report. Published today at http://www.opera.com/mobile_report/, this September 2008 study focuses on the African continent, where Web browsing on the mobile phone far exceeds traditional desktop-computer surfing.According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Africa’s mobile

Opera announced a customized Opera Mobile 9.5 for HTC Touch Diamond

Opera today announced the availability of Opera Mobile 9.5 on the new HTC Touch Diamond. The customized HTC-specific version enables easy one-handed viewing and effortless navigation. Page viewing and panning allows users to scan and navigate pages quickly while Opera Zoom enables users to dive into the page and get closer to the content they want. Turning the device sideways automatically

New Opera Mini Version 4.1 in Beta

Opera today released the beta preview of Opera Mini. The beta version is available to download for beta testing at http://www.operamini.com/beta . Opera Mini 4.1 features speed improvements and is up to 50% faster than Opera Mini 4 according to the company.Other than the speed improvements, the upcoming version also featuring Autocomplete your URLsOpera Mini will automatically suggest URL

TeaShark Mobile Browser Review

Engadget Mobile found a new mobile browser called TeaShark, which is available to phones capable of support JAVA MIDP 2.0. Evidently, its based on the same technology platform as the default Nokia browser with enhanced features. I downloaded a copy from their website and have found this browser to be quite good. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
* Clean Interface and startup page (Nokia Default Browser does not have a startup page, while Opera Mini's always felt a bit more cramped)
* Cool Multi-Tab feature. I managed to get up to 3 tabs opened at once.
* True, full screen browsing. Not top or bottom menu bars to limit your on screen display
* Full text select, like desktop browsers
* Find text function, like desktop browsers
* Smart URL suggestion functionality, this comes in very handy over a S60 handset
* Bookmark organization with color tags

Cons:
* The UI is not as intuitive. The on screen "#" shortcut menu makes it easier to use
* Menu and Functionality can sometimes be confusing (not sure exactly how to open a new tab or close old tab)
* When you press the "END" key, it shuts the application down (ie. other programs just takes you to home screen, kept app running in background)
* Like all other 3rd party software, the application must choose a network to sign on each time of use (no default access point setup)

Overall, I am pleased with another good mobile browser option that I can use. I feel like each new browser one ups the default Nokia Browser which is already very good. However, the level of improvement is so marginal that I am not sure if I would make the permanent switch; largely due to the fact that the default browser's inherent and seamless integration with the OS itself.

Related Entry: Nokia S60 Browser vs Opera Mini 4

Some real screen shots for your reference (click to enlarge)

Nokia S60 Browser vs. Opera Mini 4

Ever since I got my Nokia N95-3, I have been relying pretty heavily on the default Nokia browser for most of my internet usage. Largely because for mobile applications, I tend to rely on default applications thinking its probably better in the sense that it being more reliable, and “the way” manufacturer intended. In addition, I also knew that Nokia’s broswer was based on the popular Opera Mini technology, therefore, I didn’t think it was necessary for me to make any switch.

A while ago, I blogged about OperaMini 4 being available and I installed it back then. I haven’t actually played with it in full extent until recently. I was fine with what the Nokia Browser can do (although I admit the shortcuts on keypad is still abit confusing and hard to remember), what drove me to OperaMini was the inability of displaying higher-resolution graphics within the default Nokia Browser. (See 1st sample below)

The more I tried to use web services like the PicasaWeb or just browsing blogs like Engadget on my handset, the more I noticed Nokia Brwoser’s inability to render the images. So I decided to test out Opera Mini in full which had no problem what-so-ever. I also found the following advantages over default Nokia Browser:

• Opera Mini makes Zoom in and out easier by using the right button beneath the LCD (whereas in Nokia Browser, you have to press keypad 8, should you remember)
• Opera Mini’s transition to go “BACK” is much faster. It just goes back to the last page without having to reload. (whereas in Nokia Browser, while it gives you a preview window for the previous screens, it takes more time to reload them)
• Opera Mini’s basic layout and usage for the numeric keypad makes more sense: 2 is up, 8 is down, 4 is left, 6 is right.
• Opera Mini gives you the short-key command on the bottom of the screen when you go through the default menu.
• Opera Mini has a smoother, web2.0 like transition going forward or backwards in between screens

Overall, I like Opera Mini compared to the Nokia Browser. Chances are, I will still rely on the Nokia Browser most of the times just because it’s the default program and will launch more frequently by default (from email or SMS links). However, to truly enjoy my mobile internet experience, I will choose Opera Mini any day.

PS – I do have one little problem with Opera Mini. For whatever reason, when I try to go to Google.com, it defaults to Google Norway (Google.no). I can’t figure out how to change the default back to the US. So it kind of renders a big portion of my user experience useless…

Recently Reviewed: TeaShark Mobile Browser on Nokia N95-3