On Tuesday, Opera Software unleashed the latest commercial version of its mobile Web browser. Opera Mobile 9.5 was developed for sophisticated mobile devices and offers users a desktop-like browsing experience, complete with zooming and panning. The Norwegian company said the browser loads pages quicker for a more PC-like experience.
“Opera Mobile is the result of Opera’s unwavering commitment to a vision that puts a true Web experience in the hands of mobile users,” Opera Software CEO Jon von Tetzchner said. “The improved functionality of Opera Mobile 9.5 and easy access to information has raised the bar on a more compelling mobile Web-browsing experience and will further stimulate mobile Internet adoption.”
Accelerated Web Pages
Opera modified its Presto engine to accelerate Web-page handling. It said the engine improves responsiveness on pages that make heavy use of scripting languages like JavaScript and AJAX.
Opera Zoom lets users focus in closer on pages. The new browser also offers productivity tools, including the ability to save pages for off-line browsing, Web address auto-complete and a password manager.
The browser is Web 2.0-enabled and widget-ready with Flash support to accommodate social-networking sites. The Flash Lite 3 capability means users can get access to the full Web, including the ability to watch videos on YouTube. Opera Widgets, which are mini applications that allow content to be accessed from an idle screen with just a few clicks, offer quicker access to information.
“Clearly more and more effort is going into this space. Apple has made a big deal about the ability of Safari to bring the notion of the real Internet into your pocket,” said Michael Gartenberg, a wireless analyst at JupiterResearch. “It looks like Opera wants to make sure that experience is available for other devices as well.”
A Critical Market Opportunity
Opera Mobile is currently shipped on more than 100 million phones with…