Back in September, Opera Software released its Coast WebKit-based browser for the iPad and now the company is debuting a new version of the browser designed for Apple's iPhones.

Like the iPad version of the app, Opera Coast for iPhone has been optimized for the touchscreen. Initiating a search is as simple as pulling down on the home screen, which brings up an input interface with an icon-based autofill that allows users to tap the site they want to visit.

opera1

Made for thumbs: The iPhone was made for having all screen real estate within a thumb's reach, and Opera Coast takes this idea one step further. Gestures take care of practically all of the navigation needs, with the rest handled by a bare minimum of conveniently placed buttons. Two, to be exact.

Websites are displayed full screen, and swipe gestures let users navigate between pages. There's a small toolbar on the bottom that brings up a visual grid of saved websites, which can be altered with a simple tap and drag gesture. Users can have multiple screens of saved websites, providing easy access to all favorite sites, and search is enhanced with related words and suggestions.

opera2
The app also recommends popular websites to visit in a "Stuff we like" section, and provides a sharing tool to send links via iMessage, email, or social networks like Facebook and Twitter. An info tool also provides safety information, letting a user know whether a website is secure. While there is a lot of competition in the browser space, with Safari and Google Chrome readily available, Opera Coast is well worth checking out for its unique touch-focused interface.

Opera Coast for the iPhone will be available today as a free download.

The iPad version of the app is also available as a free download. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

wikiverse Avatar
117 months ago
Without data compression (that makes browsing on EDGE tolerable... And saves $), this is the most pointless Opera product - quite literally, ever.

Protip, Opera team. Stick to your roots. Do what you do well, and enhance that.

No company should ever 'stick to their roots'. It didn't work for blackberry, or Nokia, or Atari, or Kodak.

Apple ignored this advice and made the iPod. Clearly 'adapt or die', or 'innovate' would be much better corporate advice.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Megakazbek Avatar
117 months ago
I'm curious: why does Opera exist? What do they get out of producing a web browser that virtually no one uses? They don't charge for it, and they can't use it to exert control on web standards using it... So why bother?
Several million users is not "no one"
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kfury77 Avatar
117 months ago
I'm curious: why does Opera exist? What do they get out of producing a web browser that virtually no one uses? They don't charge for it, and they can't use it to exert control on web standards using it... So why bother?

Approx 1.3% of traffic is from Opera browsers, when you think of the massive scale of all of the traffic globally - then even just 1% is a large portion. They generate revenue from the built-in search panel.

----------

The article should state that this is now a Universal app - there aren't separate versions for iPad and iPhone
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KSean Avatar
117 months ago
I'm curious: why does Opera exist? What do they get out of producing a web browser that virtually no one uses? They don't charge for it, and they can't use it to exert control on web standards using it... So why bother?
They license their browser tech to third party companies, and I assume that's where the bulk of their money comes from. Opera is used in Nintendo consoles, some smart televisions, Adobe's Creative Suite etc.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
APlotdevice Avatar
117 months ago
They license their browser tech to third party companies, and I assume that's where the bulk of their money comes from. Opera is used in Nintendo consoles, some smart televisions, Adobe's Creative Suite etc.
Opera was used in Nintendo consoles. It isn't in their current systems. And, from what I can tell, Adobe ceased to use it after CS4.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Renzatic Avatar
117 months ago
They almost went bankrupt in the late 90s because:
- many of their devices were ahead of time;
- they had very poor marketing/advertising;
- they were too afraid to go "mainstream".

Nope. Apple in the 90's just kinda blew. It wasn't because they were ahead of their time. The Macs back then weren't any better than PCs as far as build quality and components go. Nor were they afraid to go mainstream. Hell, they tried going as mainstream as Windows by licensing out their OS.

...but when you make most of your profit on hardware, you don't give away your trump card that draws people to the hardware in the first place. They learned their lesson on that the hard way.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:06 am PDT by
Following nearly six weeks of beta testing, iOS 16.4 is expected to be released to the public as soon as this week. The software update includes a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone 8 and newer. To install an iOS update, open the Settings app on the iPhone, tap General → Software Update, and follow the on-screen instructions. Below, we have recapped eight new features and...
apple mixed reality headset concept by david lewis and marcus kane

Some Apple Employees Seriously Concerned About Mixed-Reality Headset as Announcement Draws Closer

Sunday March 26, 2023 8:25 am PDT by
Some Apple employees are concerned about the usefulness and price point of the company's upcoming mixed-reality headset, The New York Times reports. Apple headset concept by David Lewis and Marcus Kane Initial enthusiasm around the device at the company has apparently become skepticism, according to eight current and former Apple employees speaking to The New York Times. The change of tone...
iOS 17 on Phone Feature

Gurman: iOS 17 to Provide Several 'Most Requested Features'

Sunday March 26, 2023 6:05 am PDT by
Apple changed the strategy for iOS 17 later in its development process to add several new features, suggesting that the update may be more significant than previously thought, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In January, Gurman said that iOS 17 could be a less significant update than iPhone updates in previous years due to the company's intense focus on its long-awaited mixed-reality...
apple tv 4k red image

Apple Releases tvOS 16.4 for Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD

Monday March 27, 2023 10:00 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 16.4, the fourth major point update to the tvOS 16 operating system that came out last September. Available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, tvOS 16.4 comes two months following the release of tvOS 16.3. The tvOS 16.4 update can be downloaded over the air through the Settings app on the ‌‌‌‌Apple TV‌‌‌‌ by going to System > Software Update....
Steve Jobs Theater dusk

Apple Reportedly Demoed Mixed-Reality Headset to Executives in the Steve Jobs Theater Last Week

Sunday March 26, 2023 5:53 am PDT by
Apple showcased its mixed-reality headset to the company's top 100 executives in the Steve Jobs Theater last week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that the "momentous gathering" is a "key milestone" ahead of the headset's public announcement planned for June. The event was intended to rally Apple's top members of...
Apple Music Classical

Apple Explains Why It Launched an iPhone App Dedicated to Classical Music

Monday March 27, 2023 8:54 pm PDT by
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music. In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...