AUSTIN, Texas — Opera Software has a version of its Mini browser prepped and ready for the iPhone. Opera Mini 5 for the iPhone will be available in the App Store in a matter of weeks, but the company is demoing a beta version of the tiny mobile browser here at South by Southwest Interactive.
We got to see a live demo of the app in action, but we weren’t allowed to photograph it due to the company’s agreement with Apple. The screenshot at left is all that’s been approved for distribution.
Opera Mini 5 has the same features as all other implementations of Opera Mini for other mobiles. It syncs history and preferences data (like Speed Dial), it has a customizable search field, and it can discover and subscribe to RSS feeds. It also has an elegant tab switcher that lets you browse your open tabs like you’re shuffling a stack of cards.
All versions of Opera Mini use proxy servers to squish pages and images before they’re delivered to your phone, greatly speeding up page loads over slower connections. Opera claims a 90% compression rate, which is impressive, but the trade off is that you lose one of the iPhone’s special features. There’s no multi-touch on the iPhone version of Opera Mini. You can double-tap to zoom, but not pinch to zoom. Even so, it’s nice to have the option to load an alternative browser onto the iPhone, which right now only has Mobile Safari.
Look for it in the App Store some time in the next few weeks. An Android version was recently released as well. Try it out at Opera’s site.
“…it’s nice to have the option to load an alternative browser onto the iPhone, which right now only has Mobile Safari.”
What about Oceanus? Or Full Browser? In fact, aren’t there dozens of other browsers available?
dan:
All those other browsers are just redressed Safari. They’re still all the same browser.
It is coming, unless Apple decides that it doesn’t want Opera running on it. Then it will merely block Opera.
Thank you .. I am eagerly waiting for him ^^
There are many browsers for iPhone. They all use OS X’s WebKit rendering same as they all use OS X’s TCP/IP. WebKit is also used in Google Chrome. Is that also Safari?
The lack of any security or privacy in Opera Mini is glossed over way, way too quickly here. You understand that not only does Opera know all the sites you visit, but they are privy to even the encrypted communications you make such as with your bank or online shopping. They know all your passwords. It is one thing to give all that up to get browsing on a feature phone, but when you have a desktop class browser it is not worth it. Most users won’t understand what they’re giving up to get more speed under some circumstances. Also you go from having a standards-compliant browser that can run Web apps to not having that.
I sincerely hope Apple does not approve this app. It’s one of the worst things to happen to the Web. Since about 1994 we’ve had a little lock that means you are talking privately with a Web server … to have Opera in the middle of that is abysmal.
I’d have to agree that having all your traffic go through Opera’s server is a bad thing. Hopefully that “feature” can be turned off.
Will it run Flash?
Interesting, considering that Mozilla dashed all our hopes of ever seeing a version of Firefox for iPhone when they stated that it was well-nigh impossible that Apple would ever allow a third-party browser in the App Store. Better get to it, Mozilla!
Dan & Fred:
You would do well in reading Opera Privacy Policy before posting. You can find it here: http://www.opera.com/mobile/help/faq/#privacy
Anyway, do you really think true private or anonymous surfing exists with any browser or web service?