The iPhone's Mobile Safari browser may have caused a sensation when it was launched, but one year on and Opera's free offering now looks set to surpass it.

Opera Mini 4.1 beta launches this week with a number of major improvements that belie its incremental version change. Key most among these is a huge performance jump with Opera now claiming the browser loads fully formatted desktop-style web pages up to 50 per cent faster than v4.0. A stunning boost considered 4.0 was already quick on both GPRS and 3G.

Features take a major step forward too with the ability to now download and upload files meaning the otherwise awful Internet Explorer Mobile loses its one big advantage. On top of this Mini 4.1 will automatically suggest URL completions to save input time, save pages for offline browsing and provides a 'Find' function to quickly locate text on a page. Opera has also posted a guided video tour for your perusal.

Full story: trustedreviews.com