We’ve been following this one ever since we first caught wind of it at last months Mobile World Congress and for good reason as, if successful, it could mark the start of a wave of copy-cat apps. For those unfamiliar with the origins of this story, Opera Mini for iPhone is an iPhone port of the popular web browser currently used on over 50 million phones worldwide. Opera were showing off the app playing nicely with an iPhone at MWC but now the app has taken one step closer to an official release; Opera have submitted the app to Apple for approval!

The Opera Mini web browser is unique as it boasts the ability to load pages faster by compressing web pages by up to 90% for even faster load times whilst this compression occurs on a remote server saving your phone from any unnecessary processing. Initial tests carried out by Opera themselves proved the Opera Mini browser was up to 6 times faster than the iPhone’s built in Safari browser. And not only does this improve speed but also reduces data usage, not something your average iPhone user will worry about in the UK thanks to inclusive data but definitely something to consider when using your phone abroad.

From the above, it seems it should be a no-brainer for Apple to approve Opera Mini for iPhone but the problem is, Apple has yet to approve a single third party web browser app for the iPhone. Opera are adamant they’ve followed all the submission guidelines to the finest detail but whether this will be enough for the sometimes overbearing Apple remains to be seen. Keep an eye on the Blog and we’ll let you know as soon as the Opera Mini for iPhone app is green lit or rebuffed.