Opera on mobile phones experience record growth in December

In December 2012, the Opera web browsers for mobile phones experienced the largest increase of users month over month since launch in 2006.

More than 208 million users surfed with Opera Mini in December, which, when combined with the Opera Mobile numbers, brings the total number of Opera mobile users to 229 million. This represents an increase of more than 13 million users from November 2012.

In this State of the Mobile Web report, we take a quick look at the history of the Opera Mini user numbers and trends in different regions of the world, namely the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, the Europe and Russia region, Americas region as well as the Middle East and Africa region.

An examination of the global user number trends from 2006 to 2012, shows that the Asia Pacific region is clearly the early adopter of the Opera Mini browser, while other regions follow at later points over the course of Opera Mini's history.

Opera Mini uses compression technology to minimize data usage and lower the threshold for accessing the internet on mobile device, by enabling nearly all devices, smart and non-smart, to go online.

To read the full report, and to look closer at the user number trends, go to www.opera.com/smw/.

About Opera Software ASA

The worldwide World Wide Web — any device, any platform, any bandwidth, absolutely anywhere in the world. Opera Software was founded in 1994, based on the idea that access to the web should be a universal right. 275 million people (and counting) use the Opera web browsers for computers, mobile phones, TVs and other connected devices. Opera also delivers tools, distribution, engagement, monetization and market insights to developers, publishers and brands around the world. We are passionate about breaking down barriers, so everyone can share in the power of the internet. Our vision of one web for all remains at the heart of what we do, because we believe that participation changes everything. Opera Software ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OPERA. ‘Opera’, ‘Opera Software’, ‘Opera Mini’ and the ‘O’ logo are trademarks of Opera Software ASA. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com.