It’s out and I have downloaded it. I sort of expected the zoomed-out, full-page preview mode. If Nokia, Apple and Microsoft are doing it, I don’t see why Opera shouldn’t. The difference is that while Opera Mobile 9, when launched, will have this functionality, Mini has it now and will work on most any current phone on the planet.

My initial impression is very positive. The beta feels a lot less like a Java application, a lot more ‘native’. The nifty zooming effect is nice, and I’ve always liked the slide-in/out of pages in Mini. Recently, I’ve been using the Nokia browser a lot because of the smooth fonts and the ability to view without compromise. Opera Mini is now on a level playing field, with improved fonts as well. All this in less than 100kb. You have to see it to believe it.