If you’re an Opera fan and you’re using an Android then we have some good news: the Opera Mobile 10.1 beta will be landing next week with multiple new features.
Unlike the Opera Mini browser, Opera Mobile doesn’t have to use proxy servers to deliver web content to Android devices, as it uses a Presto rendering engine. The benefit of this is that you can get the full web experience including JavaScript and Ajax.
You’ll also have the ability to use the company’s Turbo compression technology, which can reduce bandwidth by as much as 80%. This could come in handy in areas without robust mobile data networks.
The Opera Mobile 10.1 beta for Android will also bring a lot of desktop features to your handset. This includes Speed Dial, Opera Link, and a password manager.
Some of the cool new features in this version include strong pinch-to-zoom features. There’s also some geolocation features to help your browsing experience take advantage of where you are.
Look for the Opera Mobile 10.1 beta for Android to drop Nov. 9 and we’ll definitely give you our thoughts once we’ve played with it.
The move comes as the browser space is becoming increasingly crowded. Skyfire recently made a big buzz when its iOS version “sold out” after a few hours of being in the App Store and Mozilla is making strides with its mobile version too.
One has to wonder how much room there is for a third-party browser though, as the on-deck ones are getting pretty good. The standard Android browser, for example, is a champ when it comes to JavaScript, has intelligent formatting and many high-end products have Adobe Flash Player 10.1 preloaded.
The Apple iPhone browser is still pretty rock solid but the Skyfire example shows that there is a desire for Flash content and that will continue to be a gaping hole for the immediate future.