Opera is releasing its redesigned Opera One browser on iOS as a stable release after testing it in the beta phase for weeks. The new browser has a bottom placed search bar for easy browsing, quick search suggestions while typing, and Aria AI assistant integration.
While the placed search bar will be the default option, users can choose to switch to Standard Navigation or Fast Action Button style. Plus, users can always swipe down the bring the search bar — just as you do it for Spotlight search on iOS.
When you are typing a query in the search engine, it usually provides you with autocomplete options. Now, Opera will also provide its own autocomplete options in chipsets below the search box to speed up your search.
The company said it has made subtle design changes to the browser, too. When you are scrolling on a page, the browser will hide the bottom and the top bar for a full-screen view. Plus, the color of the top status bar will match a site’s theme.
Opera is also replacing its old newsfeed with a new carousel view that will have personalized news, live scores, and product tips.
The company launched its AI-powered assistant, Aria, in May 2023 and introduced it to the iOS version in August 2023. With the Opera One release, the assistant has voice input and image generation ability.
App analytics firm Sensor Tower said that Opera browser has been downloaded more than 50 million times on iOS since 2020. However, the browser’s year-on-year growth has stalled with 58%, 25%, and 4% growth in downloads for 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. EU is Opera’s biggest market, and because of regulation changes forcing iOS to offer a browser choice screen to users, the browser saw a 122% download increase in Q2 2024.
