Opera Mini for iOS gets a new look and another way to save data

Opera Mini for iOS has always been a thoughtful - if not particularly handsome - alternative to Apple's mobile version of Safari. Now it's finally gotten an overdue, iOS 7-friendly facelift and a new web surfing mode for mobile data misers who don't want to give up all their visual flair. You see, in days past you only had two options: your standard, uncompressed browsing experience, and the Mini mode that compressed images and text to keep your mobile data use from getting out of whack.

Now we've got a third option to muck around with. It's called Opera Turbo (which isn't exactly new to Opera proper) that only compresses those hefty elements about half as much as Mini mode. You can now swap visual themes for when vanilla Opera gets too dull too and favorites to a customizable speed dial page for even quicker access. Alas, some of the bits that Opera has added to the mix are... of questionable value, to say the least. There's an odd new Discover section, for one -- it lets you dig through stories related to broad subjects like technology, arts, and sports, but you can't add your own favorite sites to be monitored. And if you're the type who just keeps stumbling across QR codes in your day to day life (you poor soul), you can scan them straight from the browser. All that said, there's enough here to make the new version of Opera Mini worth a spin -- the fact that it's totally gratis doesn't hurt either.