mobileu.co.uk

Opera Mobile 10 beta launched for Symbian smartphones

Following Opera Software's launch of Opera Mini 5 beta, the latest edition of popular mobile phone browser Opera Mini 5, the beta version of Opera Mobile 10 – for Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Samsung smartphones running Symbian/S60 – has been unveiled.

With an interface borrowed from Opera Mini, the mobile internet browser comes in three varieties: a mobile version which runs native on Symbian and Windows Mobile, a desktop browser and a Mini version written entirely in Java which works on the majority of handsets.

According to Norwegian mobile internet technology company Opera, Mobile 10 is twice as fast as the previous Opera Mobile released for Symbian/S60, and it has been optimised for both touchscreen and keypad-style navigation.

The manufacturer says users will notice "significant speed improvement" as they download, zoom and pan on mobile websites.

Opera Software chief Jon von Tetzchner commented that today's powerful smartphones deserve "an equally powerful browser".

"This beta continues our work to extend the desktop web experience to mobile phones, allowing users to surf the web without limitations, even while on-the-go," he continued. "No matter the device in use, Opera delivers a faster, easier and hassle-free web experience."