- Aug 6, 2014
- 1,044
After baking in an ad blocker and VPN client, Norwegian browser maker Opera Software has added a power saving mode to its desktop Web browser. The feature is currently only available in the latest "developer" version of the desktop browser—which should be available on Thursday morning.
Opera's SVP of engineering Krystian Kolondra said that the new feature "can increase the battery life by as much as 50 percent." The company claimed that such huge gains are possible through a number of additional optimisations, including "reducing activity from background tabs, adapting page-redrawing frequency, and tuning video-playback parameters."
Citing the results of its own testing, Opera has claimed that a laptop running Windows 10 64-bit with the power saving feature enabled lasts 49 percent longer than one with Chrome put under equal stress. One caveat is that the testing was made with ad blocking turned on as well, which can account for a significant part of the battery life improvement.
The new feature won't be enabled by default, but a blue battery icon will appear next to the browser's address bar whenever the power cable is unplugged. The browser will also suggest turning on power saving mode when the laptop's battery is running low.
This is Opera's third new and somewhat exciting feature to be announced in the last few months, with a built-in adblocker developer build and free VPN option having both been added in March. The updates come following a reported £820 million buyout bid for the browser maker from a consortium of Chinese firms. The Norwegian firm has until May 24 to respond to that particular offer.
More information on the Opera blog: More battery with power saving mode - Opera developer
Opera's SVP of engineering Krystian Kolondra said that the new feature "can increase the battery life by as much as 50 percent." The company claimed that such huge gains are possible through a number of additional optimisations, including "reducing activity from background tabs, adapting page-redrawing frequency, and tuning video-playback parameters."
Citing the results of its own testing, Opera has claimed that a laptop running Windows 10 64-bit with the power saving feature enabled lasts 49 percent longer than one with Chrome put under equal stress. One caveat is that the testing was made with ad blocking turned on as well, which can account for a significant part of the battery life improvement.
The new feature won't be enabled by default, but a blue battery icon will appear next to the browser's address bar whenever the power cable is unplugged. The browser will also suggest turning on power saving mode when the laptop's battery is running low.
This is Opera's third new and somewhat exciting feature to be announced in the last few months, with a built-in adblocker developer build and free VPN option having both been added in March. The updates come following a reported £820 million buyout bid for the browser maker from a consortium of Chinese firms. The Norwegian firm has until May 24 to respond to that particular offer.
More information on the Opera blog: More battery with power saving mode - Opera developer
