Faster loading, data savings for mobile video in iOS
iPhone and iPad users will see less of the dreaded video-buffering wheel, using the new video boost feature in the Opera Mini 9 web browser, released today. People love watching video on their mobiles and tablets. Unfortunately, this can eat up a data plan quickly, and stalled videos waste time and create frustration. Opera Mini has come to the rescue with video boost, available from today in the Apple App Store.
“This is the first time video optimization has been integrated into a web browser, so your browser can now take pride of place as your favorite video app” says Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software. “Video snags are a small problem, but an annoying one — a pothole on the internet highway. And Opera fixed it.”
Video boost brings down buffering time for eager video viewers, by reducing the size of video data. Using the Rocket Optimizer engine from Opera’s Skyfire division, video boost can also save users on their data bills.
Busting the buffering wheel
Optimizing videos is becoming increasingly important, as video viewing explodes on mobile phones. Mobile video represented 53% of the world’s mobile-data traffic at the end of last year and is forecast to reach 69% of mobile-data traffic by 2018.*
Video stalling, lagging and buffering delays are widespread, according to Opera Software research conducted in five markets earlier this year. Of all videos played in the United States, 40.8% experienced stalling across 2G, 3G and LTE networks, and up to 73.3% of videos played in India. In all, 49.6% or more consumers in each market said they experienced mobile video problems “often” or “all the time”.**
How to get video boost
Opera Mini 9 for iOS is available for free in the Apple App Store, from today. Video boost is available when users turn on video optimization in Opera Turbo mode. Under the “O” menu in Opera Mini 9, simply tap the data savings summary to change mode. Video boost also shows how many videos it has optimized.
Opera Mini, the mobile browser of choice for more than 250 million web-goers across the world, offers three levels of compression: full-on Opera Mini mode to crunch data to as little as 10% of its original size, Opera Turbo mode to offer some compression but better website compatibility, and turning off data savings for compression-free browsing and full compatibility.
But, wait, there’s more…
The new Opera Mini 9 also sports extra options for editing Speed Dial website shortcuts, a revamped data-savings gauge and support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Check the Opera Mini 9 for iOS video, and press kit with extra images.
* According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2013–2018
** According to Opera Software research with Open Signal and On Device Research