Opera Takes On Mobile Web Browsing With Ice For Android And iOS

Lookin' good, Opera.

Lookin’ good, Opera.

In an internal video released today by web browser company, Opera, the initial programmer of the new concept showed off a beta of the new Opera browser scheduled to go live for iOS and Android in February of this year.

The video, posted on Pocket Lint, shows a browser that looks to redefine the typical mobile browsing experience, with icons instead of tabs and gestures instead of buttons. The focus is on the user and using rich web applications, like Google Maps.

According to Pocket-Lint, CEO Lars Boilesen was also on hand for the staff meeting, and he called for Opera to take it’s game to the next level. “We need to go into a new phase, we need to lift our games on certain areas to ensure we continue to grow,” he said.

He told the gathering that Opera will release the new browser for iOS and Android devices in February, saying, “We need to focus on getting strong products out on iOS and Android. These are the two leading platforms we will focus on… They are the ones phones are being sold for.”

Innovation is a good thing, and the popularity of Google’s Chrome web browser on both iOS and Android shows there is a consumer desire for web browsing experiences that don’t come built in, like the Safari browser on iOS.

Here’s hoping that Opera can take this intriguing gestural concept to fruition by next month; we’re excited to check it out.