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Opera Mini 7: Smoother, faster, and improved browser for Android

By
April 19, 2012

Your Android phone carries pre-installed applications called stock apps. Your phone carries a stock keyboard, a stock camera app, and a stock web browser. But, if your Android phone already has the required stock applications, why would most users prefer third-party applications on their phones? The answer is simple. Third-party apps offer more enhanced features compared to stock apps. One of the famous third-party apps for web browsing is the Opera Mini web browser.

The newest version of Opera Mini will let you enjoy a newer and faster browsing experience on the web. The updated browser features support for OpenGLES hardware acceleration, more RTL text support, Android Beam compatibility, more Speed Dial tabs, improved tabbed browsing, and an enhanced user interface.

One of the features of Opera Mini 7.0.1 is the support of OpenGLES hardware acceleration. This feature allows the browser to load websites faster, promotes smoother scrolling, and enhances the browser’s performance. You can now browse webpages filled with pictures and hardcore graphics smoothly and easily with this neat feature on board. Aside from hardware acceleration, the new Opera Mini now supports RTL text for Arabic and Hebrew in its user interface.

If you own an Android phone running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with support for Near Field Communication (NFC), you might want to consider using Opera Mini as your mobile browser. The latest browser supports Android Beam, a feature that can be found on some phones running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and utilizes the phone’s NFC chip. With this browser, you can now utilize your NFC chip to instantly beam websites to your friends.

Opera Mini’s improved Speed Dial allows you to add more websites. Speed Dial is like a visual bookmark. Tapping a saved Speed Dial will let you instantly browse to its assigned page. Click the box with a plus sign to add a new Speed Dial. From there, you can select from the list of suggested URLs or type in the website’s URL. Press the Manage button to rearrange or edit your Speed Dials.

For better multitasking, Opera Mini also offers enhanced tab management. Click the Tab button at the bottom to display the tabs. To add a new tab, just tap the box with the plus sign and you will be directed to your Speed Dial page. Tap another tab to switch to another webpage.

Other new features in the latest Opera Mini are the Exit button and the Find-in-page search option. To activate the Exit button, click the button with the Opera Mini logo to open the main menu. From there, go to Settings > Advance > Exit Button. You can also access the Find-in-page search option on the main menu. The updated browser also includes fixes for bugs from the previous version of Opera Mini.

Several of the great features from previous versions have been retained:  Opera Turbo, Opera Sync, and many more.

For a faster and smoother browsing experience, use Opera Mini 7.0.1 on your Android Phone. You can download Opera Mini web browser for free from the Google Play Store.

Which do you think is better, your stock Android browser or the Opera Mini web browser? What web browser are you using on your Android phone?