Opera launches Mini 5 for Android smartphones

Opera has published a beta of Opera Mini 5 for the Android platform, promising a faster browsing experience.

The firm claimed that the new browser, available from the Android Market, will help to reduce page load times and improve browsing by compressing data by up to 90 percent, providing PC-like surfing on a mobile handset.

Dag Olav Norem, vice president of products at Opera, explained that the new software will give Android users features such as Speed Dial, tabbed browsing, password manager and bookmarks.

"Android users should not have to compromise when it comes to surfing the web on their phones. Opera Mini will give them fast and cost-efficient access to their favourite web sites and services," he said.

Opera has launched several dedicated smartphone browsers this year as the company looks to make significant gains in the ever-growing market.

Opera Mini 5 beta will come pre-installed on smartphones running Windows Mobile 5 and 6, and the firm announced at Mobile World Congress it that it is to launch a dedicated iPhone browser.

The company also reported a surge in downloads of its desktop browser since the introduction of Microsoft's browser ballot screen.