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Mobile: Opera Mini
Wed, 2005-08-10 13:17 — PMunn
Opera Software has announced Opera Mini, a Java-based web browser that will apparently run on any of 700 million phones with the Java 2 Mobile Edition installed.
It's a client program that relies on an Opera Mini Server run by Opera to process data and give mobile phone users advanced features that their native phone browser may lack.
It's also only available to ISPs who contract with Opera directly.
I hope this goes far for them. They've been pushed into obscurity on the desktop by Firefox, and having a unified product base in the form of one browser with leasing or other revenue streams from the wireless service providers is probably a good business bet. If they can get the other providers onboard.
Opera Mini 4.1
Back in mid-May, Opera Mini 4.1 was released. Here's what's new on the mobile browser:
Compression has been introduced to speed up page data downloads, and the ability to upload and download files is available for folks with handsets supporting a few newer Java standards.
Seen on CNet
Opera Mini 4 Final.
Opera has released the final version of Opera Mini 4 and it's got some nice new features. I also noticed how the features are trademarked. While Opera is probably the best browser engine company out there in terms of device penetration they're not giving away the intellectual property farm.
I've seen this running first-hand on a Blackberry Worldphone on Verizon's network, so I can attest that while Verizon may not support running it on their network they don't block its installation on phones that have a Java Virtual Machine to run it. A coworker has it and browses the web with it instead of what shipped with the unit.
Opera Mini Beta 4.
The beta 4 of Opera Mini is available alongside the current 3.x version. MobileTechReview writes about it, as does OSNews.
Opera Mini support is something I'm going to be looking for in my next phone and carrier. For those keeping score, Verizon still doesn't support Opera Mini, either because of them possibly blocking it or because they just don't sell any phones that have a JRE.
Opera Mini 3.1 released.
Version 3.1 of the Opera Mini browser is out. There's a full list of new features here.
Too bad they don't support the LG phone I have, and Verizon may not even let the Mini work anyway.
Makes me want to jump to someone else when I'm up for renewal. But I have another year until that becomes a possibility.
Opera Mini 3.0 released
Version 3.0 of Opera Mini has been released, adding support for SSL, https, and UI improvements.
Opera Mini 2.0 released.
Opera Mini 2.0 has been released notes BroadbandReports.
The in-browser test Opera Mini has also been updated so you can get an idea of how it works.
1.2
Opera Mini has been officially released worldwide today. Slashdot mentions it.
now shipping worldwide!
Opera has quietly ended the restrictions that kept the Mini browser to certain countries and is now available to anyone with a Java-capable phone. That's pretty much any phone you get these days.
It should be stressed that this is not a WAP browser, it is a browser front end with Opera's servers on the back-end intelligently crunching full-sized internet sites down to work in the Mini.
PCWorld has the scoop.
Of course you must have data service active on your phone, which will be part of your plan. For me, with Verizon, that would be $5/month on top of my current plan, and it would consume minutes the same way voice calls would. Which is to say my unlimited nights and weekends would apply to web browsing with the integrated WAP browser or the Mini.
mini updated
The Mini codebase has been updated and Opera's trials have expanded outside of the one country it was in. It's now available in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=5304
Treo
One enterprising user has figured out how to get the Opera Mini running on a Treo using a Java Runtime Environment from Palm.
http://operalover.tntluoma.com/8/opera_mini_on_treo
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