Apple Approved: Opera Mini Makes App Store Debut

Apple, it seems, isn't worried that Opera Mini will pose too great a threat to its native Safari browser on iPhone OS devices, and has opened the App Store's golden gates to a potential rival. Opera itself confirmed the move in a statement Tuesday, and the Opera Mini is now official available as a free download from the App Store and can run on all iPhone OS devices running at least version 2.2.1.

Claiming more than 50 million users worldwide for its mobile browser, Opera said the appeal of Opera Mini is that it compresses data up to 90 percent before the viewing content arrives on the device screen, meaning pages load faster and better.

"We are delighted to offer iPhone and iPod touch users a great browsing experience with the Opera Mini App," said Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software, in a statement. "This app is another step toward Opera's goal of bringing the Web to more people in more places."

Back in March, Opera confirmed that it had submitted the Opera Mini 5 web browser for approval from Apple.

At the time, the move was seen as contentious; Apple's track record for approving apps that have similar functions to native iPhone tools isn't exactly strong. In other words, some observers questioned whether Apple would allow a competitive product next to its own Safari browser.

During the review process, Opera itself poked fun at Apple setting up a web page -- and a Twitter feed -- dedicated to how long it would take between submission and approval of Opera Mini for Apple's App Store.

Opera Mini already appears on a number of mobile platforms, including Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Google Android. It will also be seen on a number of new handsets by Nokia.