Usage of Opera Mini, the Web browser for mobile phones, continues to grow worldwide. With more than 15 million cumulative users, Opera Mini is the most popular downloadable Java software for mobile phones.

“With more than six million Java technology developers and 1.8 billion Java technology-enabled mobile handsets, the Java technology ecosystem continues to expand. Opera Mini has distinguished itself in this landscape and is succeeding to penetrate the market, making a great proof point of the ongoing vitality of the Java technology development community,” says Jean Elliott, senior director Client Software Group product marketing, Sun Microsystems.

“We’re proud of Opera Mini’s award winning usability, but ultimately it’s a popular application because it is useful to everyone,” says Tatsuki Tomita, EVP, Opera Software. “We wrote Opera Mini in Java technology so that we could bring the full Internet to the largest number of mobile phones around the world.”

People in Russia and the United States are the most prolific users of Opera Mini, with the Chinese a close third. In total, more than 5,2 billion Web pages have been viewed with the easy-to-use browser from Opera Software. Opera Mini, available for free at Operamini.com, brings the full Web to nearly any mobile phone, from advanced smartphones to simple, mass market handsets. Any Java technology-enabled phone can run Opera Mini. Web pages are compressed on a remote server and delivered to the phone for fast and rich Web browsing. By enabling all services and content from the Web, the interest and cases for using Opera Mini are nearly limitless.

Leading operators and handset manufacturers have already realized the great potential of Opera Mini. For example, T-Mobile and Telefonica Moviles de Espana selected Opera Mini to provide their users with the best possible Internet experience on a mobile phone.

Welcoming beta testers

Enhanced navigation is the next step in the evolution of mobile Web browsing. That’s exactly what Opera’s developers are exploring for the next version of Opera Mini. Opera Software invites everyone to sign up for testing the beta version of the upcoming Opera Mini. Please submit your email address here. Testers will be notified by email at a later stage and asked to submit their views of the Opera Mini beta via an online form.

“Opera Mini allows me to access crucial information more easily on the road. It works all over the world, so whether I am at work or holidaying in Australia, I have access to all the information I need,” says Leila (24), an Opera Mini user living in London.

Tags: opera mini, mobile application, mobile internet, mobile browser, mobile browsing