Download Squad

Opera has released a public beta of Opera Mini 4. Like previous versions of the Opera Mini web browser, it will run on any Java enabled phone, and it's probably a lot faster than the browser you're using right now. But there's one killer new feature: zoom.

Here's a little screencast we made demonstrating the zoom feature using a web-based Opera Mini 4 emulator.

Click To Play

Much like the Opera for the Nintendo Wii, Opera Mini 4 lets you see an entire web page at a glance, pretty much as it would look on a desktop. Since your standard definition TV and your mobile phone don't really support the same resolutions as your desktop, the text isn't really readable. So you can easily scroll over any part of the page and click to zoom in.

The thing is, the new desktop view works great if you're visiting sites you're already familiar with. But if you need to find the local news section of the New York Times, you had better know that you'll need to click on the left side of the page before you get there. Luckily, you can hit the 1 button to bring up a context menu that will let you choose to bypass the desktop view and use the "fit to width" view you've come to know and love.