Apple BANS Opera from the iPhone

Opera, the little browser that could, has developed a version of its software that would run on the iPhone, but Apple won’t let them release it, claims co-founder and CEO Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner. Opera has a mini-browser built for many mobile platforms, but because it competes with Apple’s own Safari browser, the iPhone makers won’t let it onto their platform.

It’s a damn shame, because although the iPhone browsing experience is acceptable (unlike a lot of phones), it’s not perfect, and Opera has a track record of significantly improving the mobile experience on almost every platform it’s available on. The iPhone might be a great device, but its closed nature and uber-controlled user experience has its downsides, and this is one of them.

Opera (via NYT)

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