Opera Mini 5.0 Review

Opera Mini 5.0 Review

RaT Rating = 93.39%

Opera Software has made great strides to accommodate newer Blackberry models with their new Opera Mini 5

A few improvements include, browser software is faster, easier to use for touchscreen users, intuitive interface, more complete menu style, and much more.

The first thing that I noticed when downloading this beta was it size, much smaller in comparison to pervious versions. The browser connected to the Internet with no problems or extra user configuration. The initial experience of this browser has been like night and day. The user defined visual bookmarks are a nice touch, to easily get you to your most common web pages.

The ability for the program to save your logins, again makes life easier for the end user. If you turn on the Password Manager from the Privacy settings menu, you do not have to type your logins every time you open your web pages. The web pages load faster since they compress the pages 90% before they get to your phone. When the web pages load, the browser automatically checks the format of the web site, if its mobile the browser optimizes the page for mobile viewing, if not the page loads full view (if you have not selected mobile view as default in the menu settings). There is also a Download Manager to review your downloads.

Depending on the mobile phone your using the default text size can be adjusted for better viewing. The default zoom level can also be set in the settings menu from 60 to 200%. Text search within web pages makes finding what your looking for simpler. Overall, I would say that this is a giant step in the right direction for Opera Software.

The file size of the browser is really not that large 622.6 Kb, compared to other similar apps. I have not seen much of any processor sluggishness, only a bit with multiple pages open. There are average memory consumption issues but are to be expected for the graphics that are displayed. The battery usage will go down faster and to be expected, but not extremely bad. The GUI has really come a long way, however it would be nice to have a variable zoom in and zoom out without changing the zoom percentage in the options.  I did see a few bugs with the screen not resizing correctly in portrait view but if you rotate to landscape and then back it clears up. It is definitely compatible with touchscreen Blackberries and I have not experienced much memory loss while running or when closed. This app definitely does what it claims and is very easy to navigate, even though it does not make good use of the BB button. The browser is quick to load and has a good amount of options to be found in the options menu (not the BB button). All in all this browser is a very good and a much nicer surfing experience on your BB.