Opera Limited has introduced Opera News Lite, a lighter and smaller version of its popular Opera News application. Since its launch two years ago, Opera has become one of the most used news and content apps in the world with more than 160 million users.

The new app, ten times lighter than the current version of the application, is designed for devices with limited data storage capabilities, the Norwegian software company said in a statement. With a download size of less than one megabyte, Opera News Lite is also a fast download for people on limited mobile networks.

“We have developed Opera News Lite as per requests from our users,” said Jørgen Arnesen, Head of Marketing and Distribution at Opera. “The app is extremely responsive on slow network conditions as it minimizes the use of data and resources. It also helps smartphone users save storage space on their mobile devices, especially for users with older handsets.”

Smartphones accounted for 65 percent of mobile connections as of the end of last year, per GSMA, with more than 3.8 billion mobile internet users in the world. But some devices do not have enough storage capacity or are located in remote areas that often struggle with network connectivity. Opera News Lite is optimized for such smartphones, making information more accessible for everyone regardless of geographical location or network connectivity conditions. It also offers the key features of the regular Opera News app – personalized news articles, notifications about breaking news, and exclusive original content. 

More local content with more than 35 thousand content creators 

The company last year launched its Opera News Hub, a new editorial platform where African authors and bloggers can create online content and share it with the fast-growing Opera user base of more than 350 million users worldwide. In less than six months, over 35,000 African content creators have joined Opera News Hub, uploading articles every day to the platform. 

Opera News Hub also connects seamlessly with other Opera mobile applications including the new Opera News Lite. This means that users in Africa are able to read more local stories when accessing the app thanks to the quick expansion of local authors in the Hub.

The new application is powered by the same Artificial Intelligence news engine used in the full version of Opera News and the popular Opera Mini browser, according to the company. The AI system studies users’ news-reading behavior in real-time and learns from it in order to provide them with personalized news. This means people get faster and easier access to the news and videos that interest them. 

Four times faster connectivity

Users who choose to download Opera News Lite on their mobile devices are able to browse four times faster on the app, thanks to the recent installation of local data centers in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. 

The new Opera local data center has already proven effective as it reduces connection latency, providing Nigerians with 4x faster navigation on any of the Opera products, the company said. “We believe that Opera News Lite will become the fastest online news application on the market. Due to its unique characteristics and by connecting to our local data servers in Nigeria, users can be confident that they will access news faster than before regardless of any connectivity conditions,” said Arnesen. 

Opera News Lite is now available for download in more than 40 countries – Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Egypt, Algeria, Tanzania, Senegal, Zambia, Guinée, Morocco, Congo, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Benin, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Etiopia, Libya, Angola, Tunisia, Mali, Niger, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Tchad, Madagascar, Togo, Gabon, Sudan, Somalia, Mauritania, India, Indonesia, Russia, and United States.

Opera is a leading global internet brand based in Norway. The company offers users across Europe, Africa, and Asia a wide range of products and services that include PC and mobile browsers as well as AI-powered news readers, Opera News and Opera News Lite, and app-based microfinance solutions. With the launch of Opera News Lite, the tech company is looking to leverage its brand and massive user base, built on more than two decades of innovation, to expand its offerings and our business. 

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