New preview version of opera Reborn now available

Feb 14, 2019 12:49 GMT  ·  By

Opera has always been one of the browsers that impressed in terms of looks and features, and despite not having the same high market share as Chrome or Firefox, every single update just brought more and more improvements.

Right now, the Opera team is working on Opera Reborn, a new overhaul whose purpose is to “redefine the modern browser,” as the company itself claims.

Today, the third such preview, officially known as Opera R3, was rolled out to users for testing, and the changes are in line with what the company has been doing since it started work on this project.

First and foremost, Opera R3 is a browser that looks clean and modern, and I don’t believe I’m going too far when I say this is one of the most beautiful apps of its kind currently available.

However, Opera R3 isn’t only about the general appearance, but also the small details, which have been further refined to blend in the new visual update.

There are some smaller touches that you might actually miss in this update, like the dividing lines between sections that have been removed. If it wasn’t for Opera to share an official announcement highlight this change, there’s a good chance I missed it, though I still think this improvement isn’t really striking for many.

What’s more easily noticeable is the theme support, with Opera R3 offering both a light and a dark mode.

Opera R3 on Windows 10

Dark themes are the new big thing in software, and pretty much everyone develops them, regardless of the type of application they create. For example, Windows 10 itself now comes with a dark mode, and Microsoft is very keen on improving it on every single occasion.

The same for browsers. Opera R3 comes with a pretty refined dark mode, though given all the modern touches, I like the light theme more. In fact, I think you should first try to use the browser with the light theme, which is actually the default setting, and only then see how the dark mode feels. I did just that and I returned to the light theme almost instantly, though I must admit that the dark mode is actually easier on the eyes, especially during the night.

Opera says the new browser was built with a simple goal in mind: to put the content at center stage.

“The design of each of these themes was inspired by high-key and low-key lighting photography, where the goals are to maximize or minimize the amount of light in a photo while still retaining contrast. Depending on your mood, your setting or the content you are viewing, you are in control of how you frame it,” it says in a typical press releasey statement.

This update also includes a bunch of changes that you’re going to like. For example, the Snapshot tool is now placed next to the Send to My Flow button and bookmarks.

Opera R3 on Windows 10

What I like the most, however, is the Easy Setup button, which is now placed in the top right side of the screen, right next to the address bar. Easy Setup allows you to quickly access key features of the browser, such as the available themes, the wallpaper, and things like that, and I think that by moving it to this location, it’s so much easier to use. I found myself opening Easy Setup several times in the last couple of hours, just because it’s in the right place, though it remains to be seen how this changes over time.

And last but not least, Opera R3 now comes with an integrated Crypto Wallet. This feature requires you to pair the crypto wallet on your PC with Opera for Android and it makes it possible to sign crypto-transactions with your phone.

Overall, Opera R3 feels like a major step forward in terms of looks and usability, and hopefully, more users would give it a try. Every time I launch Opera, I just feel like this browser should have a bigger market share, especially because in some regards, it’s so much better than its more popular rivals.

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Opera R3 on Windows 10
Opera R3 on Windows 10Opera R3 on Windows 10
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