Google Chrome is one of the best and most popular web browsers, but Opera has always been one of the best alternatives. In the latest move for Opera, a new development release pushes it even closer to Chrome with a redesign and the overall goal of redefining the modern web browser.
Currently code-named Reborn 3 (R3) the latest development version of the web browser comes with a major user interface redesign which aims to put web content center stage. Among the biggest changes is the support for both light and dark themes. The themes were inspired by photography and make it so that the sidebar and tab areas are a brighter and cleaner color, now flowing better with the rest of the browser. Another new element is the mechanism for new tabs, which now pick up more shadows and create a “design to elicit a visceral response”
That is meant to tie in with changes to the Easy Setup and Snapshot tools, which now have been moved to the access bar on the top for more convenient accessibility. These both can be found next to Bookmarks and the “Send to Flow” button. Additionally, Opera moved the EasySetup panel in this development release. It now moves from the start page to the toolbar area and can keep basic settings like the ability to adjust the theme at hand.
“There is no other browser that comes close to Opera in terms of features and functionality, and we didn’t intend to make any compromises,” explains the Opera development team. “What we’ve done with R3 is to refine our features and place them in a way that they are fully accessible without getting in your way.”
The last but not the least of the new features in the R3 release is an integrated Crypto Wallet. This lets you browse the web while conducting crypto-transactions with your phone, but you’ll need to pair it up with Opera on your Android browser first. The official non-beta version of Opera R3 is expected to launch in March, but you can download the preview right now in MacOS, Windows, or Linux by clicking the links on the bottom of this webpage.
