OperaMobile
Latest
Opera announces revamped Store, Mini Next and Mobile 12 at MWC (video)
Opera's crying "mobile" and letting slip the dogs of browsing here at MWC 2012 with a slew of announcements to please serious web-users. Opera Mini and Opera Mobile 12 have been released today -- the former designed to run on Java-based feature phones, now includes deeper integration to Facebook and Twitter to provide fully-featured social networking for those incapable of downloading apps. Meanwhile, Opera Mobile 12 now includes Ragnarök, the company's HTML5 parser to provide better web apps and advanced functionality as well as WebGL for Android Phones -- which now also get an infinite-scrolling speed dial front page for regularly visited websites. At the same time, it's pushing out a revamped App store based on technology acquired when Opera bought Handster back in September. It's the fifth largest app store by quantity, with 55,000 apps available, although it's currently in trouble for offering developers apps to other platforms without the developers permission. After the break we've got a short video and some PR for you to peruse, like carrion men, groaning for burial.
Opera Mini 6.5 and Mobile 11.5 embark on data awareness mission, now available for download
Nearly three weeks after Opera Mini 6.5 graced the Android Market, it's now ready for iOS, BlackBerry, J2ME and S60 (the latter's in the form of Opera Mobile 11.5). The download, which is no different than what we saw on Google's mobile OS, brings with it an option to keep track of the amount of data you've used. This type of feature seems to be catching on all over the mobile world as more and more companies continue to switch to capped internet plans. If you're looking for this option, it appears as a dedicated page within the browser's help menu. Now is the time, Opera fans, to go forth and save data.
Opera Mobile on Android x86 at IDF 2011 (video)
We discovered this little gem hidden deep within the recesses of the show floor at IDF 2011. It's none other than Opera Mobile running on a Honeycomb tablet -- not just any tablet, mind you, but Intel's Oak Trail-powered (Atom Z670) Green Ridge device. That's right, you're looking at Opera's web browser, compiled using the latest Android NDK and running natively on top of Android x86. First impressions? It's fast, even without hardware acceleration -- scrolling and zooming are smooth as butter, with no signs of checkerboarding anywhere. According to Phillip Grønvold of Opera software, this is just the beginning. Hardware acceleration is already in the works, along with Flash support. So go ahead if you dare -- browse our gallery below and watch our hands-on video after the break. %Gallery-134210% Dante Cesa contributed to this report.
Opera delivers new Mini, Mobile browsers with pinch-to-zoom and shows off one for TVs
Web browser maker Opera is staying busy, unleashing several new versions of its product upon the populace today. Both of its on the go browsers have been updated with modern technology like pinch-to-zoom, sharing to other apps, improved scrolling and new tablet-friendly interfaces, while its also ready to show off a new version for set-top boxes and updating tools to help developers create apps for Opera-powered TVs. In case you need a scorecard, Opera Mini 6 (available for J2ME, Android, Blackberry, Symbian/S60) compresses pages before downloading them and Opera Mobile 11 (for Android, Symbian, Windows 7, MeeGo, Maemo) promises the entire web for those on high speed connections like WiFi, explaining the platform crossover. Peep the demo above or press releases after the break if you're still not sure what pinch-to-zoom means in or just point your mobile browser to m.opera.com and download the latest version for your device -- iOS need not apply at this time.
Opera Mobile 10.1 for Symbian turns to a brilliant shade of gold
Opera has done a pretty commendable job of keeping its latest, greatest wares up to date on most of the major mobile platforms, and here's another checkbox they can tick: Opera Mobile 10.1 has now gone final for Symbian. Of course, this isn't to be confused with the lighter-weight Opera Mini product that went into beta for Symbian last month -- this is the full package that's capable of operating without a proxy. What's new? Well, the company claims that this version operates some nine times faster than 10.0 did in JavaScript tests thanks to a refreshed JIT compiler, and support for location services is definitely a welcome addition. It's available now for S60 3rd Edition, 5th Edition, and Symbian^3; follow the break for the full press release.
Opera Mobile 10.1 for Android hits public beta
As promised, the boys and girls at Opera have pushed out an Android-flavored beta version of their Opera Mobile 10.1 product today -- and considering the company's track record for making awesome replacement browsers, odds are good that you're going to want to check it out. Besides pinch-to-zoom and support for location services, you'll find fan favorites like desktop browser sync and Opera's Speed Dial, a touchable grid of bookmarks. What's more, the visual tab management is downright slick (then again, outdoing the tab management in-built to Android doesn't take much), so you might want to take it for a test drive today -- can we suggest engadget.com as a fine starting point? The app's available from the Android Market right now; follow the break for the press release and an official demo of pinch-to-zoom in action. Or, you know, just download it and do some pinch-to-zooming of your own. Your call.
Opera Mobile coming to Android within a month, bearing hardware acceleration and pinch-to-zoom
Forget all that Mini stuff, Opera is bringing its full-flavored mobile browser to Android some time very soon indeed. To tempt people on board, the new software will support hardware acceleration for buttering up frame rates while you zoom around at potato-scalding speeds, while pinch-to-zoom will also be implemented in a big O Android browser for the first time. Opera Mini will be partaking in the latter upgrade as well, while Opera Mobile proper is expected to make its debut on the Android Market at some point over the next month. All versions of the "well diversified" OS are supported too! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in] Update: Opera has clarified that the first Android beta of Opera Mobile will have pinch-to-zoom and will arrive some time over the next month, but won't be bringing hardware acceleration with it. That'll be a feature for a later date.
Toshiba's AC100 8-hour Android smartbook plays 1080p video on a 1GHz Tegra 250 processor (update: video!)
We wouldn't fault you for thinking that's a first generation ASUS Eee PC what with that iconic fingertip pose and all. But Toshiba's AC100 is a very modern take on the ol' Atom-based netbook idea. For starters, this super slim smartbook runs Android 2.1 on a 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 250 SoC (built around a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor) capable of about 8 hours of browsing and video playback (and 7 days standby) before needing a recharge. It's also packing a 32GB SSD, 512MB of DDR2 memory, 802.11n WiFi, optional 3G data, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and an HDMI jack beneath that 10.1-inch 1,024 x 600 pixel display. As for software, the AC100 ships with Documents to Go for editing MS Office docs, an email client with POP3, IMAP, and Exchange support, an Opera Mobile browser, and a Tosh media player which should support HD 1080p video playback if it's taking full advantage of that Tegra 2 silicon. Too bad Toshiba is being quiet about the pricing and availability 'cause this little guy has us intrigued. Update: Netbooked got its hands on with the Japanese Dynabook AZ twin and received confirmation that it'll ship in Japan in August for between ¥40,000 and ¥50,000 (about $438 to $548). Video after the break.%Gallery-95912%
Opera Mobile 10 lands on Maemo thanks to pro hobbyists
What do you know, even professional coders like to develop things on the side. Opera's mobile dev team has been working on a "hobby project" to bring its browser to the Maemo-sporting Nokia N900 and N8x0 devices, and today sees the first fruit of that labor in the form of a "preview build" release. Fredrik Ohrn warns us that there might not ever be a final version, since this is being done just for fun -- and particularly in light of the MeeGo future that awaits the platform -- but for now it's yet another option for your versatile mini-computer. Click the source for the download. [Thanks, Jesus]
Opera Mobile 10 for Android now available, but not to you
Android's always in need of a better browser. Hell, every mobile platform is -- yes, even your precious Pres and iPhones can always stand to eke out a little more speed, a little more rendering capability, and a little more functionality (yeah, that's right, Flash), and Opera Mobile has always been at or near the top of the game. Version 10 -- which is currently in public beta for Windows Mobile and Symbian -- has now been turned loose on Android, but the catch is that it's only available to carriers and manufacturers of devices right now. The reason? Opera claims that these versions "present limitations that hinder mass consumer distribution" without elaborating -- and if you ask us, Android's built-in browser has plenty of "limitations" in its own right, so seriously, Opera, go ahead and turn it loose. We won't judge. Okay, maybe we will, but we'll go easy. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Opera Mobile 10 features tabbed browsing, disses WinMo
Symbian freaks, do we have a treat for you! While all your WinMo-lovin' friends are out there with Opera Mobile 9.5 (or possibly 9.7), a beta of version 10 has just been announced exclusively for Nokia / Symbian smartphones. As well as being as speedy as ever (fifty percent faster than previous Symbian versions, or so it's been claimed), this release features a new-and-improved user interface and a "speed dial" page that displays all your fave sites as icons. Not too shabby, eh? Hit the read link to get the thing for your Symbian/S60 phone -- but not before peeping the video after the break.
Sprint temporarily loses its mind, wants $250 for Samsung Instinct HD
And you thought T-Mobile and Sprint were sniffing the good stuff when they demanded $350 for the HTC Touch Pro2. Shortly after Instinct HD boxes began showing up at select Sprint stores, the flagging carrier has finally come forward with an official ship date (9/27) and price. Try as we may, we still can't figure out why exactly "HD" is tacked on the end of this thing; the 480 x 320 display is decidedly average, it can't play back high-def content on the device itself, and the "HD" video output is a feature that approximately 3.8 Earthlings will ever use (on a phone like this, anyway). Compounding the problem is the remarkable lack of detail in the specifications -- Sprint simply swears that its 5 megapixel camera and video record mode are HD, but it fails to provide any elaboration whatsoever. Other specs include WiFi, EV-DO Rev A support, Opera Mobile 9.7, an ambient light sensor, haptic feedback and an accelerometer, but even those can't help justify the $249.99 (after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year agreement) asking price. Hey Sprint -- we thought you guys were actually looking to gain subscribers. Right?
Opera Mobile 9.7 goes live
Opera Mobile, already considered by many to be the premier browsing platform for WinMo handsets, has just benefited from a big boost today in the form of version 9.7. The headline here is that 9.7 is the first version to employ Opera's Opera Turbo technology, which offloads pages to Opera's servers (in much the same way as Opera Mini) where they get compressed to tiny fractions of their original sizes before being sent down to the phone. A demo on Opera's site shows the tech in action (using an EDGE connection for added drama), and if the claims hold up, Turbo should clearly make a noticeable difference in end user browsing speed. Next up, 9.7 upgrades to the Presto 2.2 rendering engine, which is exactly the same engine used by Opera's desktop browsers and is said to offer up to a 25 percent boost in rendering speed over previous versions. Anyhow, Opera Mobile 9.7 is available now for your WinMo phone -- much to Internet Explorer Mobile's chagrin, we imagine.
ASUS gets official with P835 WVGA smartphone
Last we checked, Mobile World Congress ended a few days ago, but evidently ASUS doesn't mind a bit. Out of nowhere, the company has just introduced its newest Windows Mobile 6.1 (boo...) smartphone, the P835. Without a doubt, the two standout features here are the 3.5-inch WVGA (800 x 480) touchscreen and support for HSUPA 7.2Mbps downloads. The handset comes loaded with Opera Mobile for web surfing, a trackball, the company's new and improved Glide user interface, a battery good for six to seven hours of talking, a 528MHz Qualcomm 7201A processor, 4GB of internal storage, a microSDHC card slot, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, USB 2.0 connectivity, aGPS and quad-band GSM compatibility. You'll also find a 5 megapixel AutoFocus camera and video recording, and beautifully enough, the phone can double as a WiFi access point to share its blazing fast connection over WiFi with up to ten devices. As ASUS always does, we're left high and dry when it comes to pricing and availability. Full release is after the break.
Opera Mobile 9.5 beta released into the wilds
We've been waiting for this day ever since Opera first announced its Opera Mobile 9.5 web browser back in February. Today, it's out for a beta 1 launch. In other words, it'll be buggy but likely far more useful than the browser already installed on your touchscreen-based (PocketPC) WinMo professional phone. The initial release includes support for double-tap zoom, landscape flip, off-line page save, tab-like browsing, auto-URL complete, and a Google-search bar to name just a few of the 9.5 features. More functionality will be added later including Google Gears and support for Flash video on WinMo and Symbian devices. CNET already has the hands-on video review up for your pickings. Better yet, download and install for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments below.Update: PhoneArena has chimed-in with a video hands-on of its own. Check it after the break.Read -- Opera Mobile 9.5 beta 1 Read -- CNET first look
Video: Opera Mobile 9.5 redesign is lickity quick, slick
Bring it, we say. Opera Mobile 9.5 is prepped and (almost) ready for beta release. Version 9.5 is noticeably faster thanks to a re-engineered Presto rendering engine and features a new browser interface and downloadable Opera Widgets. A World Factbook widget pulls data from Flickr, Google Maps, and CIA World Factbook simultaneously. Opera was more than happy to compare their new browser with Microsoft's Internet Explorer Mobile to demonstrate the obvious -- IE mobile is cruel. Opera mobile 9.5 will see its first public unveiling starting February 11th at GSMA with a public Symbian, WinMo, and Linux beta expected soon. Click on through for the video.
Pre-installed Opera to come on some WM6 devices?
We never thought we would live to see the day that Pocket IE was pushed aside hastily by some Windows Mobile users in favor of the Opera browser. In the "fat lady sings" department that is in rumorland at the moment, the CEO of Opera has flat-out stated that some WM6 handsets will have the Opera browser pre-installed. Eek, say it isn't so! Until we can confirm this, we're on pins and needles along with every other Opera-lovin' WM customer on the planet. How about specific devices? Those beans have no been spilled yet, although the Motorola Q was alluded to along with some unspecified HTC, Toshiba and Asus units. If you're still on PIE (Pocket IE) and have not downloaded Opera already (or some other browser), having that beauty pre-installed is next to foolproof for a better browsing experience for many of us. We're counting the seconds until confirmation of this rumor.
