Opera is now attempting to pressure Apple into approving its Opera Mini mobile Web browser to the popular Apple App Store.
Opera yesterday announced it will release an iPhone version of Opera Mini next week, however, it's not guaranteed to be approved by Apple.
"This is a unique opportunity to introduce the fast, feature-rich Opera Mini experience for the iPhone, and to showcase our latest beta releases of Opera Mobile and Opera Mini on other platforms and devices," said Jon von Tetzchner, Opera Software co-founder, in a statement. "Opera's mission is to bring the Web to the world, and by making Opera Mini available on yet another platform, we are one step closer."
Opera engineers believe its mini browser can offer up to 90% data traffic relief on AT&T's bogged down network. As data travels to each mobile phone, content such as text, images and video are all compressed on Opera's servers.
I've enjoyed using Opera on my Research In Motion BlackBerry smartphone, as it is the most reliable Web browser I've used so far. Some iPhone owners have shown interest in using Opera Mini, with others also likely to download and test the browser.
I'm still unsure if the program will make it past the Apple App Store evaluation, which has turned down numerous apps with no explanation. Furthermore, since Opera closely mimics the functionality of Apple's Safari browser, its approval doesn't look likely.
I'd be surprised if Apple approves Opera Mini, even though it would greatly benefit both iPhone users and AT&T's network, according to Opera.
