14 DAY TRIAL // According to the latest news on the Web, Norwegian Internet browser developer Opera is currently working on the development of a Symbian S60 variant of its Opera Mobile 9.7, which has been unveiled at the CTIA Wireless 2009 trade show in Las Vegas, running on Windows Mobile-powered handsets.
A post on the company's blog states that said version of Opera Mobile 9.7 should become available in the not so far future: “With regards to Symbian S60, I can only tell you that we're working on it.. but I'll also add that it's really awesome, and we can't wait to let you guys play with it.”
The Internet browser should be able to provide users with fast navigation speeds, given the fact that it includes support for Opera Turbo, a compression engine that the company states can compress as much as 80 percent of data, meaning that web pages will load faster and download speeds will be increased, while carriers will experience less bandwidth usage.
The fact that a Symbian version of the application is in the works should make a lot of enthusiasts rejoice, especially given the fact that the company has focused mainly on the development of the Windows Mobile variant and on Sony Ericsson’s UIQ platform, and some even thought that these would be the only operating systems to get the browser.
The Opera Mobile 9.7 is expected to become available for carriers and business partners at first, yet consumers should also receive it soon, some suggesting that in early May. As for the Symbian S60 variant, there are no exact details on when it should come to users, nor on what devices will be supported. It might only come to touchscreen S60 phones in the end, given the fact that a new user interface needs to be built to support 3rd-edition handsets, which are non-touch.