A few days after the featurephones release

Jul 14, 2010 09:26 GMT  ·  By

A few days after the Java-based Opera Mini 5.1 was released, the company just announced that the Android version can now be downloaded for free. Even though Opera Mini still uses the Java ME platform and consequently requires that the mobile device be capable of running Java ME applications, the Android build is now ready to take on the Android Market.

The highly-acclaimed browser already has more than 61 million users worldwide and is one of the world's most popular browsers for mobile phones, as it allows much faster browsing speeds than other proprietary browsers that mobile phones are usually coming with. This keeps the costs to a minimum and offers users a much smoother Internet browsing experience.

"Opera Mini 5.1 for the Android platform is the next step in bringing the world's most popular mobile web browser to all major platforms, offering improved performance and great web experience to almost any handset," says Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software. "Opera Mini is used by over 61 million people on more than 3000 handset models and with today's release Opera continues its mission to provide the best web experience on any device and on any platform."

Further, it seems that Opera Mini for smartphones recorded close to 1 million downloads on the iPhone during the first 24 hours of availability. One of the best browser on the mobile phone market, performance wise, Opera Mini is highly optimized for almost any handset, either it's a Java-based, Android or iPhone smartphone. The browser is officially compatible with more than 3000 mobile phone models, but in reality it work on any device capable of running Java applications.

The latest Opera Mini 5.1 for Android brings a few changes to smartphone users, as they will now be able to set it as the default browser for more convenient Internet access, and it now offers improved page layout on high-end Android handsets with large screens. Opera Mini can downloaded for free from the developer's website or from the Android Market directly on your device.

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