Opera Mini, the widely used mobile browser across Africa, has joined the global AI race. In a recent announcement, the company revealed it is rolling out Aria—its AI-powered assistant—on Opera Mini. With this move, Opera aims to bring smart browsing capabilities to more than 100 million users globally, many of whom rely on the app in data-sensitive countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
The Aria integration marks Opera’s most ambitious effort yet to compete with AI-backed browsers from tech giants like Google and Microsoft. Aria offers an impressive suite of tools, including real-time search, article summarization, text and code generation, and image creation. These features are designed to work efficiently on low-storage devices without increasing the app’s size or consuming extra data—a major win for users in emerging markets.
“AI is rapidly becoming an integral part of the daily internet experience,” said Jørgen Arnesen, EVP Mobile at Opera. “Bringing Aria to Opera Mini is a natural next step for our most-downloaded browser.” Powered by Opera’s proprietary Composer AI engine, which combines technology from both OpenAI and Google, Aria also features support for Google’s latest image model, Imagen3.
With over 13 million users in Kenya alone—making up 12% of its global base—Opera Mini is doubling down on markets where internet access remains a challenge. Unlike heavier AI-powered platforms, Aria’s lightweight design ensures users can generate content, retrieve information, and access educational tools directly from the browser’s home screen without additional data burden.
Opera Mini’s commitment to affordability has long set it apart. Its data-compression technology has helped users save significantly on internet costs. In Nigeria, a recent (yet-to-be-published) survey from March 2025 found that 59% of users feel mobile data is overpriced, and more than half run out before month-end. To address this, Opera partners with telecom providers to offer promotional bundles, sometimes providing up to 1.5GB of free data monthly. According to the company, its compression feature alone has saved Nigerian users around $27 million worth of data.
Beyond compression, Opera Mini also integrates region-specific features such as live football updates and MiniPay, its in-app digital wallet. The addition of Aria now gives these users access to premium AI tools, further enhancing their digital experience without the usual cost barriers.
While the likes of Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot dominate the global AI spotlight, Opera’s focus is different. By equipping affordable smartphones with powerful AI tools, Opera Mini is positioning itself as the go-to smart browser for everyday users in developing regions.
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