Opera Mobile

Yesterday we released a new version of Opera Mobile 10 beta with multi-language support, as well as an updated version of the regular release.

The multi-language build includes a font package covering several Asian languages.

In addition to this, both builds contain some minor fixes:

• Font handling fix
  
• Cache size is calculated at a different point in the loading process
  
• Reduced frequency of error messages when out of memory occurs
  
• RTSP support is added to enable videos on m.youtube.com
  

I will explain this in a bit more detail.

The ability to render Asian characters in web pages depends on the system fonts installed on the device, and doesn't require the special multi-language version to be installed. However, rendering Asian characters in Opera UI elements such as history, page title, bookmarks, dropdowns, etc requires the extra font package in the multi-language version. Note also that the additional font package will only be used if the device locale matches one of the fonts included in the package.

The font handling fix ensures that Opera makes proper use of the installed system fonts for web page content. The first release did not use system fonts correctly, which caused some English language pages to display squares on devices with certain Asian locales.

The next two fixes in the list will reduce the frequency of out of memory (OOM) messages. We know that a lot of you have commented about high RAM consumption and frequent OOM messages, and these fixes should hopefully alleviate the problem somewhat.
We acknowledge that Opera requires a fair bit of memory - a full web browser will need resources to handle complex web pages. For this first beta we have focused a lot on smooth panning and UI transitions, but rest assured that we will work diligently to improve memory usage for the next release.

Finally, the updated builds have RTSP support. This enables RTSP content, such as videos from m.youtube.com and other mobile video sites, to be passed to and run in the default media player on the device.

Please visit www.opera.com/mobile/download from your desktop browser or m.opera.com/mobile from your mobile phone to download the new versions.

Thank you for testing Opera Mobile 10 beta, and for the comments so far - we look forward to more feedback!


Known issues:

• If RealPlayer is the default media player, you will need to set the access point in RealPlayer to the same access point Opera is using.
  
• The multi-language build does not cover all character sets. Please take a look at this forum comment for more details.
  
• Soft keyboard is shown even though hard keyboard is slid out and in use.
  
• Only partial IME support.
  
• Occasional freezes under stress conditions.
  
• Opera Link is not included in the beta.
  

After we announced last week that the first beta was expected on July 15th, many of you asked if we would offer a Symbian version. We will offer a Symbian version of Opera Mobile, but you will have to wait a while. We do not yet know when the Symbian version will be ready because development and quality assurance on mobile devices is time consuming. In the meantime Opera Mini is a great alternative for Symbian users. On July 15th, we'll release that first beta for Windows Mobile. Then we need your feedback and ideas to help us improve the browser.

One of the reasons I like working at Opera is that we've always supported a number of platforms. One of the slides from our last quarterly presentation shows 20+ supported operating systems. It's a challenge for a growing company, even with the engineering talent we're fortunate to have. But supporting a variety of platforms is part of our DNA. It's the foundation upon which Opera is built. We believe it's the right thing to do because more people can get the Web where they are, on their terms, on their device. I think that's a noble cause, but it takes time to do it right.

We have a unwavering focus on the craft and quality of our browser. That's the main reason many of you choose Opera. We will never compromise that.

In the meantime, while you're waiting for the first beta of Opera Mobile 9.5, here's a list of some of the official Opera blogs:

http://my.opera.com/operamini/
http://my.opera.com/dragonfly
http://my.opera.com/core/blog/
http://my.opera.com/operaqa/blog/
http://my.opera.com/WebApplications/blog/
http://my.opera.com/macteam/blog/
http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/

Have a great week, and rest assured that our engineers are working hard to give you a great browser next week..