In 2017, Otello Corporation, previously known as Opera Software, had introduced several new features in its desktop browser. The most exciting features were the built-in RSS reader and a VPN. The company didn’t introduce these two features to the Opera Mini app for some reason. Why is this so? Instead of bloating the application with too many features, Otello had launched a dedicated VPN and news aggregator app on the Google Play Store.
The VPN application was launched last year, and the newsreader app made its way to the Play Store last month. Over 50 million users use Opera VPN. According to Otello, Opera News is the number one app in several developing countries. Opera VPN has already proven that it’s a great app. Is Opera News an excellent alternative to other news reader apps? Let’s find it out!
Review
The Opera application requires 8 to 10 megabytes of storage memory. Its interface is divided into three sections. The 1st section allows you to read the news. In the 2nd section, you’ll find a list of unusual and exciting YouTube videos. The 3d section of the Opera app gives you access to its settings interface. This interface enables you to turn on the data saver feature and disable the push notifications.
Opera News detects your country and displays a list of top/trending stories in your region. It allows you to change the country/language. The option to switch the language is hidden. To access it, place your finger on the first story and scroll down.
The app displays a popup or a push notification when there’s breaking news. The notification/popup flaunts the story’s title and a small image. The app shows notifications on the lock screen as well. It runs in the background and uses mobile/WiFi data to ensure that you don’t miss out on the breaking news.
Also read: Best VPN apps
News interface
The news section is divided into several sub-sections (tabs). The “For You” tab that you’ll find in the News section of the Opera news application displays a list of the latest and most popular stories in your region. You can refresh the list by scrolling down the screen until you see the “Release to refresh” option. The app’s recommendation engine generates this list. The engine is powered by Artificial Intelligence technology.
To ensure that you’re not bored, the app displays news from various topics in its “For You” tab. The other tabs of the application function as a filter. They allow you to read the news on a specific topic. You can hide tabs in the Opera news app. To hide a tab, tap the red-colored Plus sign icon.
The Opera app has a toggle button to switch between reading and web mode. In the first mode, the app strips the distracting parts of the web page and displays only the article. In the web mode, the application opens the page as it is.
The app enables you to save the page for later reading. It provides an option to save news on your phone. It compresses the pages before saving or rendering the story. Opera news lets users follow their favorite football team.
What did I like about the app?
Videos: The videos you’ll find in the 2nd section of the app are interesting. This interface of the app is better than the trending section of YouTube.
News: Opera Mini displays the latest and trending stories from various categories in one interface. It also allows you to read stories on topics of your choice.
What didn’t I like?
No search option: The app doesn’t allow you to search for stories by title or content.
Conclusion
Opera is a great news aggregator app. Apart from displaying news, the app allows you to discover and watch exciting videos on YouTube.
