OSLO, Norway, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Opera (NASDAQ: OPRA) is announcing the launch of its new
dedicated chat service Hype, built into mobile web browser Opera
Mini. With the introduction of Hype, Opera is rethinking the
concept of mobile browsers, providing users with a
personalized, engaging browsing experience that enables seamless
surfing, sharing and communication – without compromising speed or
driving increased data consumption.
Opera Mini boasts more than 100M
users worldwide and is one of the most widely used mobile browsers
in emerging markets, where populations are largely mobile-first and
reliant on paid data plans. With features like Data Compression,
Offline File Sharing, and built-in Ad-blocker, the app saves users
roughly 90% on data use and enables safe, fast browsing where
unlimited data isn't the norm. By integrating chat functionality,
Opera Mini users can now browse, chat and seamlessly share content
– a key use case within messaging services – within a single,
data-saving app.
"Chat services and browsers are apps people use every day and
feel very personal about," said Charles
Hamel, Product Lead for Hype. "With the integration
of Hype in Opera Mini, we are not only rethinking what a chat
service should be like in 2021, but also changing the very
definition of what a mobile browser should be."
Hype is launching first in Kenya as a pilot market, where starting today,
users will be able to easily set up their Hype account and start
chatting with secure end-to-end encryption. This launch is a facet
of Opera's emphasis on investing and growing its digital ecosystem
in Africa, with the goal of
bringing more people online; since 2018, Opera has grown its user
base in Africa by 40%.
"Hype was developed first and foremost with African consumers in
mind. Today, 40% of the Kenyan population has access to
smartphones, with younger generations dominating as 75% of their 47
million inhabitants are under 30 years old," said Hamel. "With such
early adopter demographics at play, there is massive potential for
the growth of Hype in Kenya. On
top of that, we are also partnering with the leading
telecommunication carriers in the country, offering free daily
browsing to all Opera Mini users. We believe the combination of
these factors will lead to the rapid adoption of Hype in the
country."
This announcement follows similar browser innovation from Opera,
which was the first to integrate messenger services as part
of their PC browser, in 2019. Today, its more than 80 million
users enjoy the integration of services such as Facebook messenger,
Telegram, Whatsapp, Instagram and Twitter.
About Opera
Opera is a leading global internet brand with an engaged and
growing base of over 380 million MAUs. Building on over 20 years of
innovation, starting with our browser products, we are increasingly
leveraging our brand as well as our massive and highly active user
base in order to expand our offerings and our business. Today, we
offer users across Europe,
Africa and Asia a range of products and services that
include our PC and mobile browsers as well as our AI-powered news
reader, Opera News, and our app-based fintech solutions.
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SOURCE Opera Limited