Opera Mini 5 for iPhone to be shown at the MWC

An opera browser on every mobile platform known to man - with Opera Mini for the iPhone and Opera Mobile 10 for Android, that seems an achievable goal. Opera will show beta versions of the two browsers at the MWC and a few more goodies.

Apple's tight rein on what goes on the iPhone is loosening - first it was VoIP over 3G networks and now a browser that directly competes with Mobile Safari. Opera Mini 5 for iPhone will be shown off at the MWC and packs many of the features that made it one of the most popular mobile browsers.

Opera Mini 5 for iPhone will work like its siblings on other platforms - web pages are heavily compressed before they are sent to the device, which saves on data charges and speeds up page loading times, especially in areas with poor (or none at all) 3G coverage. The usual features like tabs, speed dial and password manager will also be included.

Android is getting a new browser too - soon after the announcement of Firefox for Android, comes the news that Opera Mobile 10 will be available for Android. Again, we'll learn more at the Mobile World Congress but it seems that the mobile browser market is about to become just as crowded as the desktop market.

Opera Mobile 10 beta for S60 and WinMo devices will also be shown, including Opera Widget Manager for S60 and WinMo phones. The Widget Manager allows you to run widgets (simple apps) outside the browser.