Opera recently unveiled its latest browser, Opera Air, with a unique twist: it’s designed to promote focus, balance between life and work, and reduce stress. These are ambitious promises for any web tool, but Opera Air is equipped with features that cater specifically to mindfulness. Available in an early access form for anyone interested, my initial thoughts are that it’s a robust, everyday browser with some genuinely helpful mindfulness and mental health enhancements.
Browsers rank among the most frequently used applications across all platforms, with Google Chrome leading the pack, followed by Apple’s Safari. According to StatCounter, Chrome controls a whopping 67.05% of the browser market, with Safari trailing at 17.96%. This leaves a mere slice of the pie—15%—for all other browsers combined, pushing developers to innovate to capture users’ attention, whether through security enhancements or exclusive features.
Opera has opted for a different route with Opera Air. While it offers the standard functionalities like ad-blocking, a built-in VPN, and general web compatibility, its main draw is its mindfulness-oriented features.
A standout element of Opera Air is its integration of quick access to smart exercises, meditation sessions, and unique “Boosts.” These Boosts are gaining traction; they consist of a collection of audio experiences that aim to “stimulate different brain waves.” The star of the show here is the deployment of binaural beats—tonal variations that create the illusion of a third frequency when they meet at slightly different pitches.
Opera Air includes several Boosts that utilize these binaural sounds, crafted to aid relaxation, foster concentration, or spark creativity.
As someone without medical expertise, I can’t vouch scientifically for the impact of something like a “Theta 6Hz” file that claims to boost creativity. However, my personal experience with the Boosts has been positive. For example, the “Creativity” Boost helped me relax without leading me to doze off. You can also tweak elements of these sounds, like adjusting the binaural sound or ambient noise volumes, adding a personal touch to the experience.
While Opera certainly doesn’t own the rights to neck stretches, guided meditation, or audio designed to influence brain waves, it conveniently compiles all these into one cohesive interface. This means you won’t need to scour the web endlessly or have multiple windows cluttering your screen, which is indeed a refreshing change. My colleague, Stephen Warwick from TechRadar, has already made the jump from Chrome to Opera Air for personal use—a testament to its appeal, even as our workplace requires Chrome for certain tasks.
