Opera has announced its Mini 5 web browser is now available for Google Android in beta form.

The browser was recently announced for Windows Mobile and BlackBerry handsets but now Android users can download it from Market, with Opera saying it offers “a fast and cost-efficient Web experience”.

The fast part is because Opera nicely compresses data from the web by up to 90 per cent before sending it to you – giving you a speedier mobile web experience.

Fast and cost-efficient

Opera boasts that it has over 50 million users worldwide and it also notes that its “easy-to-use interface offers a desktop-like web browsing experience on a mobile phone.”

Other features Mini 5 offers include Speed Dial, tabbed browsing, password manager and bookmarks.

“Android users should not have to compromise when it comes to surfing the web on their phones.” Says Dag Olav Norem, Vice President of Products, Opera Software.

“Opera Mini will give Android users a fast and cost-efficient access to their favourite websites and services.”

This announcement means that Android users have pipped iPhone users to the Opera post.

Although Mini 5 was announced for the iPhone at Mobile World Congress, the browser has so far yet to appear.

Opera launches Mini 5 browser for Android via http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/techradar/phone-and-communications-news/~3/Io5FdYrGyoE/story01.htm TechRadar Mobile

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