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Opera Mini 5.1 for Android released, put to the test against desktop Chrome (video)
Opera Mini 5.1 for Android has been released -- visit m.opera.com, or simply search for 'Opera' on Android Market. This is only a minor patch, but it should be both faster and easy to use. Mini can now also be set as your default browser -- about time!
Anyway, without any real way to benchmark Opera Mini 5 against other mobile browsers, I decided to pit it against a desktop browser -- Chrome 6, to be exact. Watch the video; be impressed! Opera Mini certainly isn't as fast as a desktop computer -- but then again, what mobile browser is? Also, bear in mind that I'm using a very high-speed Internet connection. On a crippled '2G' or Wi-Fi link, the difference between Mini and Chrome would be far smaller -- Opera's compression technology only really shines when there is limited bandwidth available.
Still, you can see that Opera Mini makes an excellent replacement for the default Android browser. There's no reason why you shouldn't use Opera Mini 5, put it that way.
Now I need to find some way of artificially limiting my bandwidth so that I can see if Opera Mini is actually faster than desktop Chrome!
Comments
13
Subscribe to commentsTimJul 14th 2010 10:27AM
If you're going to pit a mobile browser against a desktop browser, do it for the right reasons. Right now, this is the least informative piece of journalism I've come across today.
Sebastian AnthonyJul 14th 2010 10:37AM
You understand that we humans make almost all of our decisions using comparative analysis, right?
Firefox isn't _slow_, it is slow _compared_ to Chrome.
Comparison is ALWAYS useful, if even to show how useless it is :)
NicholasJul 14th 2010 10:32AM
how is that comparison right? Opera Mini has Opera's servers render the page and send you a fancy interactive image. The usability is awful, you don't get mobile versions of sites, and it feels like an alien experience on any phone. It shouldn't be compared with the stock Android browser because it *isn't* a browser. Opera knows every page you go to and everything you type in forms. It can't even do a JS alert without an Internet connection. This thing should not have made it to smartphones ever.
Sebastian AnthonyJul 14th 2010 10:36AM
You're right in every way -- but the fact that it 'super-charges' crappy data links overrides all of those limiting factors, IMO!
The proliferation of 3G/4G services outside metropolitan areas is still very low throughout the world.
BilskoJul 14th 2010 10:51AM
How about running the comparison with the other Android browser options?
The default HTC/Motorola options, Dolphin, others?
I gave the last iteration of the Mobile Opera browser a run and didn't see any reason to switch from Dolphin.
Sebastian AnthonyJul 14th 2010 10:56AM
Yeah, if I had two Android phones, I would certainly do that :)
I was just after something I could do side-by-side. If/when I get a second Android phone, I'll definitely do some like-for-like!
DaveJul 14th 2010 11:47AM
Opera Mini has a great UI and is great with low signal, but it renders some sites hard to use. Reading the comments on Slashdot is a pain, as is viewing some others. It does serve it's purpose however.
Sebastian AnthonyJul 14th 2010 1:22PM
I didn't stumble into any issues -- maybe 5.1 has fixed those issues? Or maybe I just haven't used it for long enough yet :)
DaveJul 14th 2010 1:29PM
Actually, 5.1 seems a lot better. Tom's hardware still has that damn localization screen though. Bastards.
VrinskJul 14th 2010 1:20PM
You don't NEED a second Android handset to make a mobile browser comparison. I switch between Skyfire and Dolphin depending on the site I want to visit and I know for a fact that Dolphin and Opera are faster than Skyfire. Use a stopwatch and film each browser opening a webpage. Then edit the video and put them side by sidr or leave as is, showing the seconds eack took to load.
Sebastian AnthonyJul 14th 2010 1:22PM
That's true, I could edit two videos together... I will look into it, thanks!
VrinskJul 14th 2010 1:29PM
No problem. I enjoy reading all your articles.
SilverWaveJul 14th 2010 2:40PM
Wouldn't touch Opera with your 40ft barge pole.
Have you actualy read their eula? ffs sign it and they get the right to eat your first born.