Opera is making waves with its latest browser innovation aimed at enhancing focus, achieving a balanced lifestyle, and reducing stress. These are bold claims for a web browser, but the newly introduced “Opera Air” has several features that prioritize mindfulness. Available for early access, anyone can download it to experience a browser that doubles as a mental health ally.
Browsers are indispensable tools, no matter your device. While Google Chrome leads the market, holding a whopping 67.05% share, Apple’s Safari follows with a respectable 17.96%. This leaves a modest 15% up for grabs among other browsers, prompting developers to carve out unique niches. Some lean towards security and others towards specialized browsing features to capture users’ attention.
Opera has chosen a distinct path with Opera Air. Besides standard offerings like an ad blocker and built-in VPN, its unique selling point lies in its mindfulness-centric attributes.
One of Opera Air’s standout features is its quick access to exercises, meditation, and its so-called “Boosts.” These Boosts have piqued the most interest. Essentially, Opera Air offers a library filled with audio tracks designed to “stimulate different brain waves.” At the heart of these tracks are binaural beats, which work by playing tones at slightly different frequencies to trick your brain into perceiving a third, invisible frequency.
As someone not medically trained, I can’t vouch for the scientific accuracy of claims like a “Theta 6Hz” frequency boosting creativity. However, from a lay perspective, the promised effects seem genuine. I found the “Creativity” Boost relaxing but not so soothing that it lulled me into slumber. Notably, users can adjust aspects of the audio, such as the volume of binaural sounds or ambient noise for a personalized experience.
Opera does not hold exclusive rights to neck exercises, guided meditations, or audio meant to stimulate brain waves, but combining all these elements into a single interface is indeed innovative. By simplifying access, you don’t have to gallivant across the web with multiple windows open, a concept that has caught considerable attention. My colleague Stephen Warwick at TechRadar, for instance, has opted to abandon Chrome in favor of Opera Air for personal browsing needs. Nonetheless, due to the professional reliance on Chrome by our parent company, both Warwick and I maintain it for work purposes.
