Opera Software has announced that the newly released Opera Mobile 8.6 for Pocket PC will be the recommended browser on the Sharp W-ZERO3 Windows Mobile device through the leading Japanese operator, Willcom. The Sharp W-ZERO3 is the new device in Willcom's W-ZERO3 series, and the first phone to come with Opera Mobile for Pocket PC pre-installed. The device will be available for the Japanese market on July 27.

W-ZERO3 is a powerful Pocket PC device that runs on Windows Mobile 5.0. It comes fully loaded with the usual Windows Mobile software such as MS Office, PDF viewer and Windows Media Player 10. The device has a dual keyboard (both key pad and a QWERTY keyboard) and a 2.8 inch VGA screen. Opera Mobile 8.6 for PPC is also the first Opera Mobile version to support Flash.

"This is an important delivery for Opera because a major operator has actively pre- installed and recommended Opera Mobile over the standard Windows Mobile browser," says Roger Carlhammar, Executive Vice President, Mobile, Opera Software. "Through Opera's speed and great usability we are happy to provide Windows Mobile users with the Web experience they deserve on their Pocket PCs."