New Opera Mobile browser speeds up mobile Internet

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

Oslo, Norway, June 8, 2009 - Opera Software has released a beta version of Opera Mobile browser version 9.7 for phones and communicators running Windows Mobile.
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The main advantage of the new version of the browser - even higher speed. Opera Mobile 9.7 uses the new kernel Opera Presto 2.2, which provides fast web page rendering and better performance. The browser supports Opera Turbo technology, accelerating the download of data to the phone. In addition, the beta version includes a set of widgets and an application for managing them. This makes it easy to access site content from a mobile phone.

The beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7 for Windows Mobile is available for free: www.opera.com/mobile/download

Main features of Opera Mobile 9.7
Opera Mobile 9.7 beta supports Opera Turbo technology. Its main advantages are:
- Accelerated web page rendering. Thanks to Opera Turbo, Opera’s servers are now responsible for rendering. The Opera Mobile 9.7 browser frees mobile device resources, improving page load speeds and overall performance.
- Data compression. Opera Turbo uses advanced compression technology, which helps reduce the amount of downloaded data up to 5 times. Thus, regardless of the quality of the cellular networks and the technical characteristics of mobile devices, Opera Turbo allows you to fully work on the Internet and download 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. Presto 2.2 kernel is also used in Opera 10 desktop browser.

Given the popularity and prevalence of widgets, Opera Mobile 9.7 Beta includes the Opera Widgets Manager widget manager and the Opera Widgets SDK developer package. With Opera Widgets Manager, users access their favorite web resources and services with one click on the screen. The 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 every “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 One Web idea, and this encourages us to create technologies such as Opera Turbo.” Not everybody has 3G phones, and not everyone needs them. But fast Internet is necessary for everyone, so Opera is trying to improve its browsers so that the user can experience all the advantages of 3G connectivity, even working in the EDGE network, ”concluded Jon von Technner.

The speed of Opera Mobile 9.7 and browser compatibility with open web standards will be appreciated not only by end users, but also by 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. After all, now the processing of web sites is done on Opera’s servers, which means that mobile phones require less RAM to work on the Internet. Ultimately, this reduces their costs.

Opera Mobile 9.7 beta is only available for Windows Mobile phones

Opera Resources
Detailed information about 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
Screenshot of Opera Mobile 9.7: www.opera.com/press/resources
Opera Widgets SDK: dev.opera.com/sdk

About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of web browsers for desktops, mobile phones and other devices. Opera Browser has received worldwide recognition from users and manufacturers due to its speed, compactness and greater proximity to standards than other browsers. The headquarters of Opera Software is located in Oslo (Norway), and territorial offices are located in several countries around the world. The company's shares are traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange Stock Exchange under the ticker OPERA. More information about the company: www.opera.com .

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

Opera Mobile 9.7 Questions and Answers

What does Opera announce today?
We present the beta version of Opera Mobile 9.7 with Opera Turbo technology. This browser is focused on use in smartphones running Windows Mobile.
Note: Opera Turbo technology must be activated separately, because it is disabled by default. To enable it, open it in the Settings - Advanced menu 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 kernel Opera Presto 2.2 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 enables full-fledged support for web services that use JavaScript and AJAX technologies.

How does Opera Mobile 9.7 differ from Opera Mobile 9.5?
Version Opera Mobile 9.7 - the successor to Opera Mobile 9.5. Thanks to Opera Turbo technology and Presto 2.2 core, web page loading has become even faster. By analogy with cars, if Opera Mobile 9.5 is Porsche 911, then Opera Mobile 9.7 is Porsche 911 Turbo.

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

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

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

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

Add Widget Manager
- The program Opera Widget Manager works as an add-on browser. 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
- Rotation of widgets when the screen orientation changes (from portrait to landscape and back) may not work correctly. To work with widgets use portrait mode.
- Widgets simultaneously with plug-ins (Flash & Gears) may not work correctly
- Clicking on the widget's internal links launches Opera Mobile browser
- When you first log into your Twitter account using the appropriate widget, you may have problems recognizing your username and password. Just close the Twitter widget and open it again.

Does Opera Turbo Mode Degrade Picture Quality?
Servers supporting Opera Turbo optimize the images sent to the mobile device. For mobile phones with small screens, we can compress data more strongly than in the case of 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 subjected to compression: the user will not have to upload a 1024x768 image if the screen of his mobile phone has a resolution of QVGA and lower. We also translate BMP images into JPEG format and show only the first frame of animated GIF files. 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 set the mode in which the use of 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 package, available for download on 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 for other platforms?
Follow the events!

What is the share of Opera in the mobile browser market?
Opera leads the mobile browser market, and has recently been recognized as # 1 in this segment. Statistics of using Opera browsers for mobile devices can be found here: gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-200904-200905
Opera Mobile today is pre-installed on hundreds of mobile phone models. And this is without taking into account individual downloads from our servers and websites of our partners.