As the red-headed stepchild of platforms, Windows Phone doesn’t have many of the major apps. This includes web browsers, with Chrome, Safari, and Firefox notably absent from the Windows Phone Store.
The one exception to this is Opera, which just released a long anticipated a new beta Opera Mini web browser for Windows Phone 8.
The app includes many of the features found in Opera on other platforms, including its data compression tech. Since this is Opera Mini, and not Opera Mobile, that data compression is baked in and can’t be disabled, but I don’t think that is going to be an issue.
This is a beta release, so caveat emptor, but early user reports are generally positive. One user noted that the interface is much more fingertip friendly, while another posted screenshots which show that the new beta has a significantly cleaner design than the previous version. They also note that the browser now defaults to a mobile friendly version of web pages, rather than a zoomed out desktop view.
Windows Phone is due to be retired and replaced by Windows 10, so this app might not see too many more beta releases. But I would expect that the interface developed for this version of Opera Mini will show up in the Windows 10 app when it is released.
Until then you can find the app in the Windows Phone Store.
