Opera just submitted their new browser for the iPhone, the Opera Mini, to Apple for approval. Watch the below video. This thing is so much faster than Safari. <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OpTCS3g-cBY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OpTCS3g-cBY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object> link Can you feel the tension? Opera is now in the throes of the App Store approval process. The wait is on to see if Apple will loosen its grip and approve the fast (very fast) Opera Mini browser for iPhone app that we checked out at MWC. Remember, Opera Mini relies on Opera's servers to render and compress pages before sending them back to the iPhone for display. As such, there's no code interpretation being done by the software -- a definite no no for approval. So the only thing that could cause Apple to reject the app would be a perceived duplication of core iPhone functionality even though it already approved several WebKit-based browsers. Whatever happens, this is going to be good. Update: Opera just threw up a counter tracking how long the approval process has taken. You know, 'cause everyone likes to be backed into a corner. Makes you wonder if Opera is serious about this or just doing it for the publicity -- one of several angles we mulled earlier.
So here's where I am confused, well, not confused... heck, I'm confused even before I start talking about the iPhone, but I digress... let's get back on topic... What's going to happen when mealeons of peeps have this browser on their iPhone...? Won't Opera's servers get filled with requests and pages will load on everyone's iPhones slower?
That's a good point. Crazy Scandinavians! btw...'mealeons'...HAHAHAA You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to SwoLy-D again.
Seeing how a large number of sites I visit with normal Opera don't render / display correctly, I don't know that I'd use it or not. That said, it is awfully fast in this demo. Swoly brings up a good point though regarding a bogging down of the system they use to serve this data, even if he did misspell "millions." I'm also guessing it's best suited where mainly text is involved, judging by normal compression standards. Also, why would Apple care too much if someone uses Opera instead of Safari on their phone? Maybe there's a good reason, but can't think of one. I guess I'm saying, there may BE tension, but I can't say I 'feel' it.
Ok but this Opera Mini 5 is just plain awesome.. I don't have a fancy 3g Iphone but have a company Blackberry 8900 that only has 2G... It loads web pages frigin FAST!!! Well fast for 2g.. So I saw it's a thumbs up for me.
If, somehow, Apple turned this down for distribution in the app store, could Opera legally distribute this for jailbroken phones through cydia et al.?
I don't see why they couldn't but I think Opera wants to go more mainstream (via AppStore). Getting onto the AppStore could lead to bigger and better things for the developers.
Of course, that goes without saying. But Apple has been known to shut out apps they think will compete a little too well with what they offer. After all, they said "no" to Google Voice and have denied Opera before. I'd just hate to see this product disappear entirely.
We all know Apple won't be approving this any time soon. If anything, they'll find something to sue over.
I don't know, but Apple is ****ing stupid....err evil geniuses. They need to allow Adobe flash player on the iphone. They make people jailBREAK their phones purposely who want to use it to do totally legal things on the net causing people to buy the newer iphone when their phone finally gives the error message.
