New Opera Mobile Browser Accelerates Mobile Internet

The beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7 browser with a new core and a set of modern data processing technologies makes us take a fresh look at working on the Internet from a mobile phone

Oslo, Norway, June 8, 2009 - Opera Software released a beta version of Opera Mobile browser version 9.7 for phones and communicators running Windows Mobile.

The main advantage of the browser of the new version is its even higher speed. Opera Mobile 9.7 uses the new Opera Presto 2.2 kernel, which provides faster rendering of web pages and better performance. The browser supports Opera Turbo technology, which speeds up downloading data to your phone. In addition, a set of widgets and an application for managing them are included in the beta version. This simplifies access to the contents of sites from a mobile phone.

Opera Mobile 9.7 Beta for Windows Mobile is available for free: www.opera.com/mobile/download

Key Features of Opera Mobile 9.7 Opera Mobile 9.7
Beta supports Opera Turbo technology. Its main advantages are:
- Faster rendering of web pages. Thanks to Opera Turbo, Opera’s servers are now responsible for rendering. Opera Mobile 9.7 Browser Releases Mobile Device Resources Improving Page Loading Speed ​​and Overall Performance
- Data compression. Opera Turbo uses advanced compression technology, which helps reduce the amount of downloaded data by up to 5 times. Thus, regardless of the quality of cellular networks and the technical characteristics of mobile devices, Opera Turbo allows you to fully surf the Internet and load pages even faster than modern 3G phones do.

Thanks to the new Presto 2.2 kernel, Opera Mobile 9.7 loads web page content about 25% faster than the previous version. The Presto 2.2 kernel is also used in the Opera 10 desktop browser.

Given the popularity and prevalence of widgets, Opera Widgets Manager and Opera Widgets SDK are included in the beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7. Using Opera Widgets Manager, users get access to their favorite web resources and services with one click on the screen. Beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7 includes widgets for GeoQuiz, Twitter, Bubbles, MyStatus, Google Translate.

“There are other mobile browsers that claim to be the fastest and best for working with Windows Mobile phones. However, I urge each “mobile” user to install Opera Mobile and join the new standards of speed and compatibility. Opera Mobile 9.7 leaves slow, “heavy” browsers far behind, ”said Jon von Tetzchner, chief executive officer of Opera Software. - We believe in the idea of ​​the One Web, and this encourages us to create technologies such as Opera Turbo. Not everyone has 3G phones, and not everyone needs them. But everyone needs a fast Internet, so Opera is trying to improve its browsers so that the user can feel all the advantages of 3G connectivity, even working on an EDGE network, ”concluded Jon von Techner.

The speed of Opera Mobile 9.7 and browser compatibility with open web standards will be appreciated not only by end users, but also telecom operators, as well as manufacturers of equipment based on Windows Mobile. Cellular telephony providers have a real opportunity to reduce the load on their networks and increase their bandwidth. Manufacturers can use Opera Mobile in a wide range of phones. Indeed, now the processing of websites is performed on the servers of Opera, which means that mobile phones require less RAM to work on the Internet. Ultimately, this reduces their cost.

Beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7 is only available for Windows Mobile phones

Opera Resources
Details of the Opera Mobile 9.7 browser:www.opera.com/mobile
Opera Mobile 9.7 beta for Windows Mobile: www.opera.com/mobile/download
Opera Mobile 9.7 demo video with Opera Turbo technology www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Om5ywkQX4
Opera Mobile Screenshot 9.7: www.opera.com/press/resources
Opera Widgets SDK: dev.opera.com/sdk

About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA is the industry leader in developing web browsers for desktop computers, mobile phones and other devices. The Opera browser has received worldwide recognition from users and manufacturers due to its speed, compactness and greater proximity to standards than other browsers. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with regional offices in several countries around the world. The company's shares are traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker OPERA. More information about the company: www.opera.com .

Useful links The
Russian-speaking community and the official Opera blog: my.opera.com/russian Opera 's
blog on Habrahabr.ru: habrahabr.ru/company/opera
Opera community on VKontakte.ru vkontakte.ru/club15122
Let's make the web better. Choose Opera Blog [EN]: www.chooseopera.com
Opera on Twitter [EN]: www.twitter.com/opera

Opera Mobile 9.7 Q &A

What is Opera announcing today?
We are introducing the beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7 with Opera Turbo technology. This browser is designed for use in smartphones running Windows Mobile.
Note: Opera Turbo technology must be activated separately, since it is disabled by default. To enable it, go to the Settings menu - Advanced and select “Enable Opera Turbo”.

What devices will Opera Mobile 9.7 work on?
On all smartphones running Windows Mobile, such as Samsung Omnia, HTC Diamond, Sony Ericsson Xperia.

What are the main features of Opera Mobile 9.7 beta?
The main feature of the new browser is Opera Turbo technology, which means SPEED. In addition, the new Opera Presto 2.2 kernel provides better support for web standards and faster rendering of web pages.

What is the difference between Opera Mini and Opera Mobile, because in both cases data compression technology is now used?
Opera Mobile has its own built-in kernel, which allows the browser to work even without using Opera Turbo. In addition, Opera Mobile can only work in data compression mode. This makes it possible to fully support web services using JavaScript and AJAX technologies.

How is Opera Mobile 9.7 different from Opera Mobile 9.5?
Opera Mobile 9.7 is the successor to Opera Mobile 9.5. Thanks to Opera Turbo technology and the Presto 2.2 kernel, web page loading is even faster. Similar to cars, if Opera Mobile 9.5 is a Porsche 911, then Opera Mobile 9.7 is a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Why is this version called 9.7 and not 10?
We wanted to emphasize the continuity of the new browser with previous versions for Windows Mobile, especially since Opera Mobile 9.5 is well-deserved and is a really high-quality product.

Will Flash applications work in Opera Mobile 9.7? Will I be able to watch videos on YouTube?
Opera 9.7 supports the Flash plugin. If it is installed on your phone, you can work with Flash content.

What are the features of the beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7?
It should be taken into account that both Opera Mobile 9.7 and Opera Turbo are still in test mode. We are working to improve the functionality, but at this stage we ask users to be sympathetic to some of the nuances.

Browser
- When Opera Turbo technology is enabled, the Download function does not work, as well as some settings (such as turning pictures on / off)
- In Windows Mobile 5.0 running on devices with a resolution of 480x800, switching between portrait and landscape modes may not work correctly screen. These errors are due to insufficient support for such a resolution in earlier versions of Microsoft drivers.
- Some input tools in some editors may not work correctly with Opera browsers, because these programs do not support Microsoft SIP technologies and / or IME standards. When Opera discovers such editors on the phone, the browser will use the known (installed by default) input tools. For example, in the program EzInput v1.5 the keyboard and the compact QWERTY mode will not work, but in all other modes everything works correctly. We recommend updating EzInput to version v2.0.
- Only basic support for FlashLite 3. Flash plugin is not installed by default.
- Opera Mobile 9.7 does not support the Opera Link function. However, the user can access their bookmarks through the web interface and link.opera.com.

Widget Add Manager
- Opera Widget Manager works as a browser add-on. In order to download it, you must first install Opera Mobile 9.7
- We recommend disabling Opera Turbo mode when working with Opera Widget Manager
- Rotating widgets when changing the screen orientation (from portrait to landscape and vice versa) may not work correctly. To work with widgets, use portrait mode.
- Widgets at the same time as plug-ins (Flash & Gears) may not work correctly.
- Clicking on the widget's internal links launches Opera Mobile browser.
- The first time you log into your Twitter account using the corresponding widget, you may have problems recognizing your username and password. Just close the Twitter widget and open it again.

Does Opera Turbo Mode Decrease Image Quality?
Servers that support Opera Turbo optimize images sent to the mobile device. For mobile phones with small screens, we can compress data more than with the desktop version of the browser. So image compression is only part of the content optimization process performed by our servers.
Large images are mainly compressed: the user does not have to upload a picture of 1024x768 pixels if the screen of his mobile phone has a resolution of QVGA or lower. We also convert BMP images to JPEG and show only the first frame of animated GIFs. This allows you to significantly save traffic.

Can a user change server settings for Opera Turbo?
No, the user can only turn Opera Turbo on and off. We want this technology to be as easy to use as possible. At the same time, our servers themselves analyze and establish a mode of operation in which using Opera Turbo on a particular device will be most effective.

How do widgets work now?
Opera Widget Manager for the S60 platform is included in the Opera Widgets SDK, available for download at dev.opera.com. Widgets in Opera Mobile 9.7 work in two modes: icons and full-screen images. The third mode, interactive icons, in the assembly for Windows Mobile is not supported, unlike Opera Widget Manager for S60, where they work correctly.

When will the final version of the browser or the version of Opera Mobile 10 be released?
Follow the events!

Will Opera Mobile be available on other platforms?
Follow the events!

What is Opera's share of the mobile browser market?
Opera leads the market for mobile browsers, and has recently been recognized as No. 1 in this segment. The statistics on the use of Opera browsers for mobile devices can be found here: gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-200904-200905
Opera Mobile today is preinstalled on hundreds of mobile phone models. And this is without taking into account individual downloads from our servers and the websites of our partners.