Opera Mini for Android

February 3, 2010 · by Espen André Øverdahl

Yes, we are working on an Android version of Opera Mini. We can't confirm when we will launch it, but we will launch it (in the future.)

Just in case any of you were wondering.

Readers' comments 34

Left under the original article, as archived.

tomassplatchWednesday, February 3, 2010 8:49:45 AM
We know that already, but thanks for confirming. Android desperately needs Opera Mini 5!
Sami SerolaWednesday, February 3, 2010 9:15:15 AM
Originally posted by tomassplatch:

We know that already

Some people are not reading sticky posts on Opera Mini forum and that specific information was not given on latest Opera Mini blog articles.
MyOpera team, please fix this!Wednesday, February 3, 2010 9:16:41 AM
Why not a full fledged Opera mobile version? Is there something preventing this? Mini is nice. Mobile is better.
Jeremy GohWednesday, February 3, 2010 9:17:51 AM
Yes, +1 for Opera Mobile on Android.
What caused for prevention for this?
Joseph D. LienWednesday, February 3, 2010 9:33:11 AM
I'm excited about getting Opera on Android. It's very likely that it will be my next smartphone platform!
tomassplatchWednesday, February 3, 2010 9:45:18 AM
+1 for Opera Mobile on Android.
It clearly is possible:
http://androidandme.com/2010/02/news/firefox-on-android-renders-its-first-web-page-no-plans-for-iphone/
HaavardWednesday, February 3, 2010 10:29:13 AM
I have Opera Mobile running fine on my HTC Magic, but I'm not sure if we are going to release it any time soon.

There's some info on Opera Mobile for Android here:

http://www.opera.com/press/releases/2009/12/10_2/
tomassplatchWednesday, February 3, 2010 10:54:36 AM
Yeah, I know:

"Currently, these platforms (Android and BREW) present limitations that hinder mass consumer distribution."

But it just isn't clear to me why operators and OEM's can preinstall Opera 10 on Android, but mass consumer distribution is not possible. I mean there is the NDK for Android and guys from Mozilla seem to manage to develop their browser fairly well with it. They may be far from releasing it, but once they come up with an installable alpha of Fennec for Android, the argument from the press release will seem just bogus...
NicoWednesday, February 3, 2010 10:59:52 AM
Opera Mini is nice, but I am really hoping for Opera Mobile on Android. I have a Motorola Milestone and would love to get Opera Mobile on it

But Opera Mini 5 is also nice to have.
TamilWednesday, February 3, 2010 11:47:58 AM
techlawsamWednesday, February 3, 2010 12:05:02 PM
I thought Opera mini was already available via android market?
HaavardWednesday, February 3, 2010 12:09:24 PM
Operators and OEMs can preinstall applications because they know how to do it. It's a less-than-straightforward process. Anything that isn't perfectly straightforward does hinder mass consumer distribution.
MyOpera team, please fix this!Wednesday, February 3, 2010 12:12:43 PM
Originally posted by samMD:

I thought Opera mini was already available via android market?
It is. It is a very old version I believe. This is just annoucing an updated version... at least that's how I understood it.
Ankush chouhanWednesday, February 3, 2010 12:15:06 PM
Hi frnd i use opera mini in nokia 6681 and it's working very good in my phone
Sami SerolaWednesday, February 3, 2010 12:27:15 PM
Originally posted by samMD:

I thought Opera mini was already available via android market?

@ EspenAO - Maybe you should specify it's Opera Mini 5 what you are working on.
Pallab DeWednesday, February 3, 2010 12:40:33 PM
Not interested in O Mini 5 for Android. O Mobile is what we want, but Opera has already made it pretty clear that O mobile for Android will be available only to OEMs.
tomassplatchWednesday, February 3, 2010 1:00:55 PM
Originally posted by haavard:

Operators and OEMs can preinstall applications because they know how to do it. It's a less-than-straightforward process. Anything that isn't perfectly straightforward does hinder mass consumer distribution.

Thanks for your reply. Hopefully advanced users will be able to install Opera Mobile on Android extracted from OEMs' firmwares anyway.
I guess Opera wouldn't have any reason not to distribude Opera Mobile for Android if a straightforward installation were possible... Anyway, it's a pity for Opera and for Android users.
Indra HyadWednesday, February 3, 2010 2:50:56 PM
how can I get OM android in on Mini 4.2 ?
Charles SchlossWednesday, February 3, 2010 2:52:45 PM
techlawsamWednesday, February 3, 2010 5:14:02 PM
Originally posted by fearphage:

Anything that isn't perfectly straightforward doe

ah
Uncle MickWednesday, February 3, 2010 8:29:06 PM
http://files.myopera.com/Tamil/Smilies/Happy.gif - A big reason why I wouldn't buy an iPhone is lack of Opera support.

One more reason to go for the Nexus One.
Artur „Jurgi” JurgawkaThursday, February 4, 2010 9:35:43 AM
Originally posted by Mickeyjoe_irl:

A big reason why I wouldn't buy an iPhone is lack of Opera support.

Yeap, Apple sucks for me too.
AdrianPMThursday, February 4, 2010 8:48:24 PM
Good news.
Cutting SpoonThursday, February 4, 2010 11:27:36 PM
Sounds like they're implying a "more native" Mini, not just a minor edit of the normal java app but an NDK version that ties in better.
DheerajSunday, February 7, 2010 6:58:46 PM
They're taking FOREVER to get this done. I saw a post here saying that an Android version of Opera Mobile is in the works, and this was back in AUGUST! Does it really take this long to make Opera for Android?
James DoreThursday, February 11, 2010 4:11:00 PM
Where would I find out about the possibility of Opera Mini/Mobile on the Maemo platform? i.e. the Linux variant that runs on the Nokia N900/810/800/700 series?
Cutting SpoonFriday, February 12, 2010 1:47:08 AM
Well, Mobile needs to be "very native" to function properly. Mini on Android was somewhat hacked (patched and lacking features) due to peculiarities of the android platform, and now they're trying to do it properly.

If Linux Maemo supports javaphone apps, then Mini should already work. I checked the list though, and those aren't on it.
rsilvesSunday, February 14, 2010 7:16:56 PM
I live in Argentina and have a 200MB data plan, and bigger plans are excessively expensive.
I had a Nokia 5800 until December, when I bought a Motorola Milestone. I used OMini5 on my 5800 a lot, and I was very disappointed to find that there was no Opera Mini 5 for Android.
I had to get used (back) to 4.2, which is really bad (after having used 5 beta).
I was a bit more disappointed when I found that you are releasing OMini5 for iPhone and showing Opera Mobile 10 for Android
I hope that the evolution of Opera Mobile 10 for Android makes it easier to release OMini 5.
And I hope Opera Mini 5 (or 5 beta) is released really soon for Android.

I would appreciate if there is any way to test "alpha" versions of OMini5 and give feedback. I am skilled to give tester reports, and not have a bad attitude
Thanks,
Rodrigo.
Cutting SpoonMonday, February 15, 2010 8:11:45 PM
From what I've seen, Android phones span a fairly wide range of "power". Looks like both Opera Mini AND Opera Mobile should be available for Android in the near future. For example, a Windows Mobile phone with 64MB memory would use Opera Mini and a Windows Mobile phone with 128MB (or more) COULD use Opera Mobile on sites that do not work well in Mini. The same thing will probably happen with Android phones.
rsilvesTuesday, February 16, 2010 2:12:01 PM
I don't understand your last post Cutting Spoon. I mean, it's right, but it leaves me thinking "so?".
Opera Mobile 10 is to be released this week at WMC, afaik. I understand that Opera Mobile 10 will come preinstalled on handsets, and will not be available for download on the Market.
I also understand that Opera Mobile 10 has a Turbo mode, or something similar, which turns it to work like Opera Mini 5.
I hope this means a launch of Opera Mini 5 together with Opera Mobile 10 at WMC.
NicoTuesday, February 16, 2010 4:36:25 PM
I really want Opera Mini 5 for Android. 4.2 just doesn't work good on my Milestone.
Cutting SpoonTuesday, February 16, 2010 6:03:43 PM
rsilves: It's not quite the same and it's not quite that simple. Mini is only a client, it does almost no work by itself. For Android, iPhone etc, the standard java version of Mini is not the way to go. So Opera has been developing more "native" clones of the java Mini. This may actually require more time than converting Opera Mobile, because Mini has not traditionally been compiled as a regular program.

The Turbo in Mobile is the Turbo in Desktop, Mobile has most of Desktop's features and does all the work by itself. Turbo compresses images and reduces the size of HTML (and CSS too?), and does not load things like Flash unless you tell it to do so. Mobile downloads and runs javascript, something Mini is not capable of.

So Mini is a very simple browser (with some clever tricks to make sites work) that required a lot of effort to convert for Android and iPhone, while Mobile is a very powerful desktop-grade browser that works better on some sites (but needs better hardware because it's doing all the work).

What I don't understand is this: I can take a very old Win98 PC with 64MB of memory (or less), install Opera Desktop and the full Adobe Flash Player 9, and browser YouTube without any trouble at all. I can put the Internet channel on the Wii, and browse most videos on most websites. But most phones with 128MB or 256MB memory STILL will NEVER support any form of Flash and very few videos! Much more troubling than a delayed Android release, and something Opera can not solve by itself.
rsilvesThursday, February 18, 2010 1:01:03 AM
Interesting point Cutting Spoon.
So .. if it is so simple... I hope they release it really soon
Opera Mini (5) is the only thing I feel Android really lacks of. (This is since Fring/Nimbuzz started working on my Milestone, less than a month ago).
rsilvesTuesday, March 2, 2010 12:58:02 AM
Any comments about the release date? At least something like "not before april"? It's just that I hate waking up every morning and immediatly opening the Market after I turn off the alarm clock, and finding no Opera Mini updates...