Opera Mini finds its way onto Android
Got Android and lack lovely browsing experience? No worries, Opera mini is [Via PhoneScoop]
Posts with tag opera
Got Android and lack lovely browsing experience? No worries, Opera mini is 
Contrary to previous beliefs, it looks like neither Orange nor HTC will have a part in producing the first "Googlephone," and instead it seems that Samsung is slipping in the back door to steal the limelight. When the Ultra Edition 13.8 (formerly known as the Z720) got official a few days back, we noticed the relatively unexpected suite of Google apps swarming the mobile's innards, and aside from the handset not exactly abiding by the Opera agreement that is supposedly falling into place, it seems a good fit for the first Google-infused mobile. Of course, the programs that come loaded are all available as free downloads on supported handsets, but it seems the European-bound 13.8 will be numero uno in what's likely to be quite a lengthy list of Googled mobiles.
For those of us still using dumbphones (and even some of us with the smart variety), Opera Mini is just about the best thing out there for doing us some web surfin' on the road. Version 2.0 of the Java-based browser is pretty darn good, but 3.0 has just hit the streets and it's offering up some key improvements. Top on the list are comprehensive support for RSS feeds, inline uploading of pictures snapped using the phone's camera, and streamlined connection handling that should lead to faster browsing. Perhaps the most intriguing new feature, though, is something Opera calls "content folding" whereby long content on a page is automatically collapsed with a "plus" sign -- great for long-winded sites not necessarily designed with a phone browser in mind.
While Firefox is still basting in its 2.0 goodness, Opera is doing its own thang to amp up popularity. Besides being the browser-of-choice on Nintendo's forthcoming Wii, the tried and true Opera Mini browser is streamlining itself for use on BlackBerry and Treo handhelds. Unlike other browsers, this revamped version "downloads websites after they've been passed through Opera's servers, where they're compressed to download more quickly." Opera's technology -- while not substantially different in nature than renditions from Ascentive and Propel -- has been dubbed "Small Screen Rendering," and can even change the colors of backgrounds and text to improve visibility on mobile displays. The auto-compression features should trim download times and save on kilobyte usage (should you not already have an unlimited data plan), which can be particularly helpful for sites (unlike this one) that aren't tailored to fit your cellphone's display automatically. So, scurry on and hit the read link to give Opera's latest gig a try, cool?
For anyone not content to kick it pre-beta style with Mozilla's Minimo, Opera has just released an updated version of its browser for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs, with a version for Smartphones promised soon. Now clocking in at version 8.60, the browser runs on both Windows Mobile 5 and 2003 SE, and sports Opera's newest core code, as well as tabbed browsing and landscape/portrait browsing modes. Minimo still has a big leg up on Opera in one key area though: price. While Opera offers a free 30-day trial, you'll have to fork over $24 if you want to continue using it. (Wait, didn't Opera go free on the desktop? Whatever.) That may fly while Minimo's still getting its act together, but Opera will have to watch their back once it catches up to its desktop counterpart.
We just love us that Opera Mini, especially when
we're constrained to a non smartphone and/or a slow mobile connection, but the Opera peeps aren't just sitting on their
hands while we enjoy the mobile web, and have just announced version 2.0 of the browser. They seem bent on making Opera
the go-to mobile platform, and have added SMS functionality for mobile commerce so that you can buy via the browser and
have ringtones, games or other content delivered via SMS without a lot of hassle. The browser also now supports file
downloads, skinning, multiple search engines, "speed dial" bookmark shortcuts, and the vaguely defined
"visual navigation." Not quite earth shattering, but content providers might take note of the fact that just
about anybody can have access to a browser that can actual do something with the content they provide.
Mobile-review has taken Sony
Ericsson's upcoming W950i musicphone through their usual
exhaustive testing, and although the translated-from-Russian review may be a bit difficult to fully comprehend, the
plethora of screenshots and comparison pics alone make it a must read for anyone considering this Symbian-powered
handset. Although its 4GB of flash memory and integrated RDS-enabled FM tuner clearly make this a music-oriented
device, S-E's inclusion of the UIQ 3.0 interface along with a ton of productivity software (Opera, QuickOffice, PDF ,
along with the usual PIM suite) allow the W950i to easily do double duty as a smartphone. Easily, that is, for those of
us who aren't diehard QWERTY-enthusiasts -- the flush keypad only offers regular T9 input along with the never-pleasant
on-screen handwriting options -- or don't require WiFi and a camera in our pocket at all times. Still, the UMTS radio
should suffice for most data needs, and music lovers will appreciate the A2DP-enabled Bluetooth and 13 hour real-world
battery life, making the ~$740 W950i look like strong competitor for such storage-heavy models as the Nokia N91 and Samsung
i300/300x when it hits stores in July.





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