Opera Mini browser comes to the iPad

Opera Mini is on a roll. Opera has revealed that the mobile browser had over 107million users in April, which it claims cements it as "the world's most popular mobile browser". And there's a good chance Opera Mini's fortunes will rise further as Opera Mini 6 hits iOS.

Version 5 was launched in April 2010, according to Opera's press department, "to the delight of screaming fans who threw their underwear at the stage," but, according to many iOS users, to general indifference. However, the browser was sensibly released for free, and rapidly racked up over a million downloads, despite its clunky interface and middling rendering.

Opera Mini 6 is a significant improvement, working across iOS devices (including both iPad orientations) and also offering Retina support for modern models of the iPhone and iPod touch.

As before, the browser also provides potentially speedier downloads than Safari and other WebKit iOS browsers, due to it compressing data traffic and firing everything at you through Opera's servers. Smoother, faster panning and zooming, along with share buttons and a "jazzed-up skin" are other benefits Opera's touting.

Opera Mini is available from the App Store, weighs in at just 3.4MB and requires iOS 3.0 or later.