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CNET Editors' review
Opera Mini 6.5 brings this version of the alternative browser to iOS devices (version 6.5 has been available for Android for three weeks at the time of this review). We have had a chance to put the slimmed-down browser through its paces and it offers several features we think users will like. With the right tweaks, it may even become the favorite over Apple's Safari--if people are willing to give it a try.
The clean, elegant interface hides multiple useful features, with only five buttons to choose from, along with the address bar and search box. The main Opera menu in the upper left reveals most of Opera Mini's features, giving you access to Bookmarks, your browsing history, the Start Page (or Speed Dial), previously saved sites, browser settings, word search, sharing options, and a useful help section. While Opera Mini doesn't have browser tabs in the traditional sense, touching the tabs indicator (next to the address bar) brings up your open pages, visually making it easy to switch between Web sites.
Controls seem to be made for iOS for the most part. Pinch-to-zoom and panning are smooth for an overall great experience. The one-touch zoom feature is a little confusing, however. In our testing, touching a link would frustratingly sometimes zoom in and other times load the link.
The search field defaults to Google search, but you can touch the Google logo on the left side of the box to search sites like Amazon.com, eBay, and Wikipedia exclusively. A button at the bottom of the resulting drop-down lets you manage and edit your search engines, but it doesn't let you add more. So, if you wanted to add a site like Ask.com, you would need to edit and remove a current entry (like Wikipedia) to have Ask.com available at all times. This seems a little restrictive and more work than it needs to be, but the fact is that most people use Google for general searches anyway.
For navigation, you also can take advantage of Opera's Speed Dial for quick access to your favorite sites. Simply touch the Opera menu button in the upper left, then touch Start Page to get Speed Dial's 3x3 layout of sites. Opera preloads common sites by default, but you can touch and hold (or long-click) any of the pages to change them to your favorite sites. We really like this feature, especially on a mobile device like the iPhone or iPad, because you generally won't spend as much time browsing the Web as you would on a desktop computer. In other words, nine quick-browsing options are usually enough for a standard Web surfing session on a mobile device. If you need more, you can easily use Opera Mini's Bookmark features.
Opera Mini offers a couple of ways to view previous browsing sessions. The browser history works as you would expect with a list of sites previously visited. But you also have the option to save pages to get right to a story you want to read later. When you want to look at a particular story later, hit the Saved Pages button under the Opera menu, then hit the plus sign to add it to your list. Now you can go directly there without wasting time searching or browsing to it.
New in version 6.5, Opera Mini now has predictive typing support, autocorrect, and searching from the address bar, along with various other bug fixes and tweaks.
Overall, with speedy load times, quick access to favorite sites via Speed Dial, and elegant long-click menus for extra options, Opera Mini 6.5 is a must-have update for Opera fans using iOS devices. With a few more additions and feature refinements, it might even become the first choice for iOS Web surfers--if they take the time to learn the ropes.
Watch the CNET video review of Opera Mini:Publisher's Description
From Opera Software:
Get a fast, cost-efficient Web browsing experience. Use our powerful servers to compress data by up to 90% before sending it to your iPhone, so page-loads are lightning fast. Opera Mini is a breeze to use, and can synchronize data between your phone and computer. Some great features of Opera Mini: Speed: Up to 6 times faster browsing, especially on slower or crowded networks. Data Savings: Compress up to 90% of data traffic. Speed Dial: Get to your favorite Web sites with a single tap. Visual Tabs: See all your open Web pages and quickly switch between them. Opera Link: Synchronize your bookmarks and Speed Dial with a Desktop PC or other mobile phone. Try Opera Mini today; it is completely free.
What's new in this version:
- Added support for more than 9 Speed Dials
- Added support for platform dictionary
- Added support for uploading files
- Added zoom setting
- Improved traffic compression on iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S
- Fixed session restore not keeping tabs when relaunching
- Updated to dark keyboard to match Opera UI
- Various bug fixes
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All versions:
2.7 starsout of 25 votes
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Current version:
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"Par for the course"
Version: Opera Mini 6.0
Pros
It's like all the other mobile browsers
Cons
Nothing to do hand stands for
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"it is a great product saves cost is user friendly."
Version: Opera Mini 6.0
Pros
it is a great product it is a great product it saves cost and is user friendly.the product rank among the best
Cons
cost reduction software.it is a great product it is a great product it saves cost and is user friendly.the product rank among the best
Summary
cost reduction software.it is a great product it is a great product it saves cost and is user it saves cost and is user friendly.i will always recommend it to all friendly.the product rank among the best
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"It's a speed burner but..."
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
fast, very fast
Cons
buggy, some web pages don't show. You get a blank screen. doesn't take full advantage of the touch feature
Summary
A very fast browser and nice change of pace from Safari. Needs some work though
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"Extremely Innovative"
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
- Nice look
- Web sites aren't blocked by school blockers
- Speedier than safariCons
- Doesn't play videos
- No multi-touch
- No tilt lockSummary
Opera for the iPhone delivers speed. It gives a few pros over the defualt Safari browser but is lacking video support and multi-touch, which other browsers on the iPhone most have. Can't wait to see whats on the next update of Opera Mini.
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"Worthless piece of code"
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
If you compare this to Safari, none
Cons
No real world speed advantage, problems viewing Web sites, finicky to operate
Summary
I can see there is an emerging consensus here, that this browser is a worthless piece of software. Please let me add my signature!
First, this Opera Mini does not feel any faster than Safari (3G or WiFi). Second, it (almost) never displays Web pages correctly; most are rendered as a mess. Third, I just can't figure out how to operate the darn thing. I want to scroll - it zooms in, I want to hit a link - it zooms out, and so on and so forth...
Opera Mini is said to come preloaded on many cell phones. Poor fellas (ones using those phones to browse the Web)! -
"Cool looking but bad functionality"
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
Looks good
Cons
doesn't play videos, doesn't go horizontil
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"Close, but no cigar."
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
Speed Dial style bookmarks, fast loading pages; noticeably faster than Safari on 3G, Edge, and WIFI.
Cons
The zoom functionality isn't nearly as intuitive as Safari so it feels like a step back. Viewing web pages in Opera Mini isn't very fluid. Browser feels very clunky.
Summary
If you're anti-Safari and want a good browser, this may be your best choice; but if you're used to the way Safari works and are excited about a faster browser, actually using the browser itself may slow you down. I kept it as a backup browser, but I'm not sure when I would use it.. oh and I should also note, I'm running 4.0 beta, so that could possibly have an effect on Opera's performance.
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"Not stable as Safari, poor Readability"
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
Tab interface is cool
Cons
cant read other languages which safari already can !
the poor readability
not faster than safari in any sites i commonly use ! -
"Fast but there's no support"
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
I like the touch to zoom feature, but I can't figure out how to go back to the original view.
Cons
There is very little HELP on the phone. I can't figure out how to sync my Opera bookmarks.
Summary
Many neat functions as seen on the CNET video, but the lack on support is frustrating.
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"Pros don't outweigh the cons"
Version: Opera Mini 5.0
Pros
The tab interface is nice as is the bookmark dialer, competition is a good thing, theoretically faster in EDGE
Cons
Rendering is inconsistent, no full javascript support, poor quality text, no multitouch
Summary
I live and work in the city and we have good 3G coverage pretty much every where I go with 3G I just do not notice any speed improvement using Opera vs Safari so that plus is really a non-factor for me. So, Opera would need to win out over Safari in terms of pure features to become my browser of choice and it simply doesn't foot the bill. There are some nice things I would love to see get pulled into Safari, the tab interface is much nicer than what is used by Safari and comes much closer to replicating the tab experience on a full blown browser. The dialer is also a nice feature the only real comparison in Safari would be bookmarks sent to the home screen. That being said Opera trips up when it comes to the job of actually rendering pages which is after all what the thing is for. It handles mobile formatted pages fine, but any page designed for a full browser looses some functionality. The loss of pinch and zoom especially is huge as you loose the fine grain control over zoom you get in Safari. Once you add in the poor text rendering I guess the pinch and zoom exclusion doesn't matter so much since the rendering of text is so poor you can only really read it on pretty high zoom levels anyway so the tap and zoom close ends up being the "best" option. The lack of javascript also hurts though I guess Apple and their licensing share some of the blame for this one (do other versions of mobile opera support javascript?).
So final thoughts not a horrible first try, but too many areas were Safari comes out on top, if I lived in an area with poor 3G coverage the scales might tip in a different direction, but for me it is just not good enough.
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