The Opera Mini browser launched on Windows Phone last June, and picked up its latest update just a few weeks ago - but there won't be any more updates for a while, if at all.
Opera's Ruth Alflat published a blog post today explaining the current state of its Windows development, and for now, it's mostly bad news - but there is some hope.
Alflat said that "no major updates are planned for the next few months", adding that "the small team who were working on the Windows Phone app are now dedicating their time to our other apps on iOS and Android". That means that new features, including the ability to sync the browser from other devices to Windows Phone - which she described as "a massive project" - aren't in development.
However, Alflat pointed out that things are "not set in stone", and that it's "hoping to review the platform later this year". In the meantime, Opera will continue to ensure that its browser remains secure on Windows Phone, and it will aim to fix any major bugs. Indeed, she noted that the most recent update, which arrived last month, rolled out specifically to address a bug that affected many of its users.
She also said that Opera has considered launching a new app for Windows 10, built on Microsoft's Universal Windows Platform, which would be able to run across multiple types of devices. But that's not going to happen anytime soon:
...at this time we don’t have the resources to work on this.
When we review our outlook for the mobile platform later this year, this particular project will be high on our wish list.
And for those wondering why Opera doesn't just use Microsoft's Project Islandwood app bridge to port its iOS browser to Windows 10 devices, she went on to explain:
You may have seen other apps like Instagram take their iOS version and port it to the Windows Platform. This basically means you’ll be served the same app on each operating system. This allows, companies to spend less development resources.
This is a great solution for some apps, and our teams did look into it as a possibility, but unfortunately it wasn’t a good solution. A browser is a much more complex animal than other apps (which is why we enjoy making them).
Alflat said that Opera's focus on iOS and Android development has been driven by the fact that those operating systems are "where our strengths and biggest user communities are", adding that "right now, we're focusing more on the platforms that can help us make the most positive impact on the web and web technologies."
Source: Opera
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