The war over browsers on mobile devices just got the equivalent of small army.
Opera Software announced on Oct. 24 that Opera Mini, a free Web browser for cell phones, has now been made available for the BlackBerry and Palm Treo handsets.
According to the company, the Mini focuses on enhancing image rendering speed performance through a server-based component that condenses Web pages, and helps decrease the size of the data that is transferred.
“Opera Mini is a no-frills, instant gateway to the World Wide Web on todays basic line of mobile phones,” said Rolf Assev, chief commercial officer of Opera Software in a company statement.
“But we see folks in the industry who are thrilled to use it on higher-end devices. People who are accustomed to mobile browsing in addition to e-mailing or texting, enjoy the speed and reliability Opera Mini offers on todays professional handsets. The fact is, its a choice available to everyone, novice or pro.”
Since Opera Minis inception in February of this year, the product has gone over the 1 billion mark in pages viewed, according to Opera.
As of the time of this release, Opera Mini had more than 7 million users worldwide, the company said.
“We see that users are browsing with Opera Mini in the same as they are accustomed to on their desktop,” Assev said in the same statement.
“They use Mini to find information or network, even bid on eBay while on the go.”
The Opera Mini is available free of charge through download at the companys Web site.