Opera to Release iPhone Browser Next Week

**Paul Daniel Ash** · 02-10-2010, 08:40 AM

Opera Mobile is the world's most popular browser for smartphones, with over 25 percent share according to StatCounter, as compared to Safari for iPhone OS which has just over 22 percent. Opera Software is about to open a new line of attack on Safari to solidify its mobile browser supremacy by releasing an iPhone version of its Opera Mini browser, despite the fact that Apple does not allow any browser but Safari on the iPhone.

Jon von Tetzchner, the co-founder of Opera, said that the company would demonstrate Opera Mini for iPhone to journalists and business partners, but did not indicate whether the app would be released to the App Store or offered for sale at all. It will be "a unique opportunity to introduce the fast, feature-rich Opera Mini experience for the iPhone," von Tetzchner said, "and to showcase our latest beta releases of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini on other platforms and devices."

Opera Mini is the free version of the company's Opera Mobile browser. Both apps use a proxy server to compress and reformat web pages before they are transmitted to the phone. Opera said that its own tests indicate that Opera Mini is up to six times faster than Apple's Safari browser on the iPhone.

Opera spokeswoman Julie Sajnani told ZDNet UK that the company has not yet submitted the browser to Apple's App Store, but said that she hopes "Apple will not deny their users a choice in web-browsing experience." Apple does have a pretty clear history of blocking any app it thinks duplicates the functionality of any native iPhone app. Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at CCS Insight, told Computerworld that in his estimation "it is highly unlikely that Opera Mini will be approved."
Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

the unveiling is scheduled to take place at an exclusive press and partner preview during the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain on Monday, February 15.

image via GSMWorld

**StealthBravo** · 02-10-2010, 08:42 AM

Nice! Can't wait to try it out. Hopefully a dev can make a way to set your default browser to a 3rd party one

**Slocko** · 02-10-2010, 08:48 AM

Does anyone know why Apple will not approve this, while they approved iDroid Mini Browser?

Originally Posted by StealthBravo

Nice! Can't wait to try it out. Hopefully a dev can make a way to set your default browser to a 3rd party one

**Melech518** · 02-10-2010, 09:03 AM

Eh, I always hated Opera...
Edit: But this looks nice. I like the Top Sites screen like safari has. I hope 4.0 has an update to mobile safari!

**TooSlo** · 02-10-2010, 09:12 AM

I'll take anything faster than Safari on the iphone. It's just plain painful to use most of the time.

**oo3** · 02-10-2010, 09:22 AM

From what I understand, other browsers that are on the App Store are still based off of Safari so it's not really competition. I bet Apple will reject this.

**MrNoSox** · 02-10-2010, 09:43 AM

Originally Posted by oo3

From what I understand, other browsers that are on the App Store are still based off of Safari so it's not really competition. I bet Apple will reject this.

If they reject these other browsers aren't they opening themselves up for some M$ style anti-trust suits?

Apple's been heading this direction for a while now. Disappointing.

**Jon503** · 02-10-2010, 09:51 AM

This Would be nice beacause Safari gets boring and it crashes sometimes on me

**ronblade** · 02-10-2010, 10:23 AM

I really love to use opera, it really takes short time to open pages and it's various features and very user friendly and attractive. The iphone browser of opera is sure gonna rock.

**Ticko** · 02-10-2010, 11:06 AM

opera mini is much faster really ...i hope it gets approved even though i doubt it will...I have used opera on all my other phones and it was much faster than the browser that came with it..id like to see its performance against safari mini

**voodoochild** · 02-10-2010, 11:31 AM

Hopefully they will approve it idroid is ok but i would like something that combines both the droid and safari whit amazing lighting speed. Maybe even a little protection like Trend Micro.

**riku98523** · 02-10-2010, 12:22 PM

Opera is junk imo. Its slow and the only people who need it actually need the features in it which isn't the normal user. Mozilla get on it!

**iLaw-One** · 02-10-2010, 12:48 PM

As long as I can set some other browser as my default browser and dump safari, I'll be content!!

Would looooove to see Mozilla on the iphone though.

**ecd5000** · 02-10-2010, 02:00 PM

this would be nice anything faster than safari is good in my book. everyone whos talking about the idroid mini browser., wasnt it pulled shortly after? so chances of this are slim but theres always cydia ( hint hint ).and having a dev set a 3rd party browser up to open instead of safari would also be awesome hell id even pay to have that feature or a pop up tab to choose what browser you wanted to open whatever in! hope it can be done

**StevenB** · 02-10-2010, 02:36 PM

It would be a totally awesome move if Apple denies and Opera decides to release it to the JB community.

**battlecrushr** · 02-10-2010, 02:45 PM

Awesome definately gonna try

**iGarza** · 02-10-2010, 03:09 PM

Opera's cool. i still cant wait for FireFox

That'll be dope.

**lolcats1** · 02-10-2010, 03:19 PM

i'm pretty sure mozilla mobile would melt the iphone. just imagine it... MOBILE PLUGINS.

**battlecrushr** · 02-10-2010, 03:20 PM

would be cool but would apple allow it ^

**ddonuts4** · 02-10-2010, 03:32 PM

cydia, anybody? maybe the opera team is planning to release it in cydia

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