A new release of the Java-hosted Opera Mini is always a big event. This is a beta launch, but still extremely interesting, with Opera Mini 5.0 adding smooth font aliasing, multiple browser windows, a password manager and much better support for touchscreen phones. On the downside, the application is larger, at 220kb (still small in the overall scheme of things, though), and custom form and editing fields mean that you can't now copy and paste text in and out of the application. I was going to produce a walkthrough of the new features, but there's absolutely no point because our good friend Stefan has already done this in good detail. You can get Opera Mini 5.0 by going to mini.opera.com/beta in Web on your phone.
Read on in the full article.
the application is larger, at 220kb
That's tiny. I'd say it was a good thing rather than a 'downside'.
I think Steve meant that from the perspective that earlier the download size was just over 100 KB.
It is still possible to copy text into the application provided you hit Settings>Advanced and turn off Inline Editing. Hidden but still there.
Unfortunately the shortcuts for page up/down/right/left I was using on my qwerty-keyboard has been removed... bummer.
(the shortcut keys was: t=up, b=down, h=right & f=left)
Quite amazing that is Java but seems to run faster on my N97 that the native code S60 browser! And it has whizzy transitions.
Shows Nokia up.
Where's Opera Link? Synchronise Bookmarks?
This was the one feature I loved about OperaMini as I could shift all my Feeds and Bookmarks from one phone to another phone without any worries.
I hope it will be included in Opera Mini 5 final version.
impressed. Very nice for a beta. Onscreen keyboard very cramped on a 5800 though
Apart from the apparent inablility to sync bookmarks, i'm liking this beta quite nicely. Opera Mini used to hose up (java issues i think) on the Omnia, so this is a great improvement.
I'm probably missing the blindingly obvious but having installed this app on my Samsung i8910 I cannot find any way to close it short of turning the phone off!!
Yup, it was blindingly obvious! In landscape mode (the only one I'd tried) there is a second, hidden, row in the tools options.
@Jejoma
In portrait mode you can also go to "settings" and "Exit".
I'm absolutely loving Opera 5 so far. Very, very slick.
I have a nokia 5530.
A few minor niggles:
- qwerty in portrait mode is just a little too cramped. A keypad actually might be preferable here.
- when you load a page in portrait, it gives you a lovely overview of the whole page and then you tap to zoom in. This doesn't happen in landscape and furthermore if you load a page in landscape and then turn to portrait you don't get the zoom in/out option.
- The webpage in landscape mode seemed a bit too "zoomed in" and there doesn't seem to be a way to zoom out.
- A teeny weeny gripe - the Opera app icon is not the correct resolution - looks very blocky. That ain't gonna look too fly on my homescreen!
I think that's about it. Only small gripes. Speed dial is awesome. This will definitely replace my default browser in my 5530.
D-pad doesn't seem to work on N97. Shame, because I like to use the very small font and sometimes links can be a bit fiddly.
Thanks Vaibhav , I was missing the clipboard function .
@Unregistered you can still use the number powerscroll 2=T , 8=B , 4=F , 6=H and 5=G
You can also use Ctrl+V = back/previous , ## = next page
However V5 has a beautifull UI , I am missing a lot of the qwerty shortcuts of Version 4.2 : http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/forum//forum/thread/87409/
😊 Regards jApi NL
By the way, is there any way to allow this application to connect to the internet without asking me?
I get the whole "Allow For This Session" popup? Anyway to stop it asking this question every time I start Opera?
I just did a quick check and the midlet is indeed 221k, but it downloads a few hundred k after that 😊
You can change the settings . Open Application Manager > Opera Mini (...) > Options > Open > Settings .
😊 Regards jApi NL
@jApi NL
Was that directed at me?
Here is what I do:
- Application Manager -> Installed apps. -> [Select] Opera Mini -> [Bottom left button] Options -> Suite Settings
In here I have "Network access", but the only options for network access are: "Not allowed", "Ask Every Time", and "Ask First Time Only". This last option is what I have chosen, but with this Opera asks when you open it and then doesn't ask again for the session. I want it to never ask me.
There is no option "Always Allowed".
@Lutin , yes . I guess you'll have to work with the options given . My phone has got the setting allways allowed though .
Not much pain "once" is it ?
😊 Regards jApi NL
jApi NL wrote:@Lutin , yes . I guess you'll have to work with the options given . My phone has got the setting allways allowed though .
Not much pain "once" is it ?😊 Regards jApi NL
Not much pain, no, but it does take away from the slickness if I have to do this every time I open Opera.
I was wondering if maybe having a previous version of Opera mini installed would affect this? I have not had any version of opera mini installed. I wonder if previous (non-beta) versions came with certificates which are re-used.
Anyone else having the problem that it only loads one page and then it wont load any more pages before you restart the program? This happens on my 5800.
I have installed, tried and uninstalled immediately. It turned to portrait mode when I hold the device in landscape mode and vice versa. Sometimes it filled only half of the screen. Something is buggy with it on my xm 5800.
@vehicular. There is a setting to change that. Go into Settings and turn landscape on.
I can't get this to install on my N97. Halts with a Java.io.Exception error.
Any ideas anyone? I've upgraded my Java version and that had no effect either
EDIT: Uninstalled 4.2 and it has installed fine now
@Unregistered: We don't download that much during the installation phase 😊 All executing code is contained in the jar file. To be able to have one jar file that works on every device we have made it so that it downloads one of three different skins for different resolutions, hand-tuned to to the pixel. The skin is 70-100k or so.
Otherwise: glad to hear all of the nice feedback 😊. If you need help solving some issue, I recommend visiting the forums at http://my.opera.com/community/forums/forum.dml?id=111
Johan Sch�n, Opera Software
Johan Sch�n wrote:@Unregistered: We don't download that much during the installation phase 😊 All executing code is contained in the jar file. To be able to have one jar file that works on every device we have made it so that it downloads one of three different skins for different resolutions, hand-tuned to to the pixel. The skin is 70-100k or so.Otherwise: glad to hear all of the nice feedback 😊. If you need help solving some issue, I recommend visiting the forums at http://my.opera.com/community/forums/forum.dml?id=111
Johan Sch�n, Opera Software
John, that's a great solution to a tricky problem.
Was using Opera all yesterday evening, and my god it's fantastic.
I did file one big report this morning though (Opera freezes when you click on a phone number on a web page).
Great onscreen keyboard.. puts the standard Symbian ones to shame actually. 😉
Absolute killer App.. if only they can get the Flash functionality to work, then will replace Nokia's browser for me!!
I am very impressed with the new version of Opera mini 5. The new sleek look and feel of the browser is quite refreshing !!! I just love the new speed dial and tabs function. I use a Nokia N95 8gb and find the portrait mode to be much better for surfing the web than the landscape one.Even though the browser is still in beta stage, I still find it much better and easier to use than the native code S60 browser.Absolutely a killer application..... Amazing !!!
I am very impressed with the new version of Opera mini 5. The new sleek look and feel of the browser is quite refreshing !!! I just love the new speed dial and tabs function. I use a Nokia N95 8gb and find the portrait mode to be much better for surfing the web than the landscape one.Even though the browser is still in beta stage, I still find it much better and easier to use than the native code S60 browser.Absolutely a killer application..... Amazing !!!
Lutin wrote:By the way, is there any way to allow this application to connect to the internet without asking me? I get the whole "Allow For This Session" popup? Anyway to stop it asking this question every time I start Opera?
You need to get a signed copy of Opera Mini.