Opera Mini is to become the default browser for certain Microsoft devices after the two companies signed a licensing agreement.
Microsoft handsets based on the Series 30+, Series 40 and Asha software all fall under the new deal.
Current users of the affected handsets will be encouraged to upgrade to Opera Mini from Xpress, the current default browser developed by Nokia.
The phasing out of Nokia’s software comes following Microsoft’s acquisition of the Finish vendor’s phone unit, which was sealed earlier this year.
Factory-new devices will come with the Opera Mini browser preinstalled.
Rich Bernardo, Head of Legacy business, Phones at Microsoft, said the agreement would provide “continuity of service”.
There are around 250 million Opera Mini users worldwide, over 100 million of which are on Android devices.
The Scandinavian firm claims its is the world’s most popular cloud-assisted browser.
Opera Mini features built-in compression technology that compresses webpages by up to 90 percent.
A co-branded version is used by over 150 mobile operators worldwide.
Lars Boileson, CEO of Opera Software, commented: “This is a great opportunity to spread the benefits of Opera Mini to millions more consumers in our core markets.
“There are still massive numbers of people who have not moved to smartphones, but Opera Mini can provide them with an amazing browsing experience right now”.
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