Opera Mini 5.1 update released

Opera is pitching its Mini update at low-end phones

Opera has updated the mobile version of its browser, claiming that Opera Mini is now compatible with 3,000 handsets and delivers the "best internet experience possible".

Opera Mini 5.1 has a new skin which will let users have more pages open at one time, along with an "improved browsing experience" and faster scrolling.

The firm acknowledged that the update is not critical for users of high-end smartphones, but is "highly recommended" for Nokia's S40 phones and those with a small screen.

"The goal with Opera Mini is to make the web available to anyone regardless of where they come from or the handset they have," said Lars Boilesen, chief executive at Opera Software.

"More than 61 million people on over 3,000 devices have chosen to surf the web with Opera Mini for fast and easy internet access at a considerably lower cost."

The company reiterated its claim that Opera Mini compresses data by up to 90 per cent before sending it to the handset, offering faster browsing and less data consumed on a mobile tariff.