Opera Mini for iPhone submitted to Apple for approval

[Jos]

After showing off its newest mobile browser version at the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona, Norwegian firm Opera Software today made good on its promise and submitted "Opera Mini for iPhone" to Apple's iPhone App Store. The browser is reportedly several times faster than mobile Safari, due to the use of server-side compression technology. To prove it, Opera posted a video of its browser going against Apple's on two iPhone 3GS smartphones with no 3G or Wi-Fi enabled. Relying only on 2G (EDGE), Opera Mini loaded no less than 5 pages while Safari loaded only one.

While that seems all nice and good the real question remains whether Apple will allow it in the App Store. Historically, the Cupertino-based company has always rejected applications that have duplicated original functionality on the iPhone, but recently it approved several WebKit-based browsers. Opera is convinced that its browser will be approved by Apple, not only for the improved speeds or for giving users more choice on their browsing experience, but because Opera Mini doesn't directly violate rules laid out in Apple's software development kit (SDK).

Unlike other browsers, Opera Mini is a proxy browser that delivers Web pages through Opera's servers. It isn't a standalone HTML browser that interprets and executes code on its own. This loophole combined with the fact that Apple is allowing WebKit browsers in the App Store should negate the "duplication of functionality" argument.

We'll just have to wait and see what Apple's reaction to Opera Mini for iPhone will be. In the meantime, Opera has posted a counter on its website so everyone can see how long it takes Apple to approve (or reject) its browser.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/38330-opera-mini-for-iphone-submitted-to-apple-for-approval.html

 

[Technochicken]

I sure hope they let this onto the app store. I hate having to browse on safari on my iPod Touch, as it is painfully slow. Also, as it is a proxy browser, does that mean you would be able to, for example, bypass your school's internet filter with it like you can with proxy websites? Of course this is all hypothetical....

 

[compdata]

I can't image why they would deny it as it would also help reduce bandwidth usage on ATTs network!

 

[slh28]

Looks awesome. I don't understand how Apple gets away with bundling its hardware with the default Safari browser, surely the MS ballot thing should be applied in this case as well?

 

[LightHeart]

Fair?

Microsoft has to put up a ballot for competing browsers on it's own software (even though anyone could have installed them at anytime) while Apple can reject applications entirely in the AppStore just because and you can't install them otherwise. We'll see what Apple decides.

 

[Archean]

That is a fair assertion Light; many may disagree, but I believe EU is monumentally stupid in forcing Microsoft's hand for that browser ballot; I mean no one ever stopped me from trying out all the browsers out there; and this ballot idea wouldn't have made me install a browser I didn't wanted.

On the original topic now; I think apple is much worse monopoly than Microsoft ever was, and yet, it just gets away with whatever it want to stuff down its customers throat. Funny, thing is many just do it happily anyway. However, I think safari is probably the most rubbish browser out there, so Opera probably would diminish its meager competitor pretty quickly on iphone; provided if apple doesn't crash the party.

 

[levar]

wow! that sure is nice! Don't see why it wouldn't get accepted Opera knows what its doing and is one of the first browsers to pass the ACID3 test, personally at time I don't like the Opera desktop browser but after seeing this video I know it doing quite well on mobile. Ok firefox what'ya got?

 

[megrawab]

Apple must approve it... Opera Mini is the best browser for mobile I've ever seen... Hope OM can play flash soon...

 

[pipopaz]

Really hoping they approve it, for the looks of it, it'll be quite good for some parts were signal is not as strong.